Ancient Archaeology and World Heritage

The  Ajanta Caves  are a group of rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments estimated to have been constructed from the 2 nd Century BCE to about 480 CE, located in the Aurangabad District of Maharashtra State in India. It is believed that the caves served as a monsoon retreat for monks, as well as a resting site for merchants and pilgrims in ancient India. The distant view of the Ajanta Caves The currently identified 29 caves constitute of monasteries (Viharas) and worship-halls (Chaityas) attributed to the Buddhist tradition. The interior of the caves also contains "Dry-Fresco" (paintings on top of a dry plaster surface rather than into wet plaster) depicting the past lives and rebirths of Buddha and rock-cult sculptures related to Buddhism. The caves which have been numbered for ease of identification based on the order they could be visited as opposed to the time of their construction have been attributed to two distinct periods. The earliest group of caves are generall...

Ad Deir, widely known as the “The Monastery” is a mid-first century CE structure carved out of rock, in the ancient Nabataean city of Petra, located in modern day southern Jordan. Considered to be one of the largest structures in Petra, the Monastery is approximately 47 meters in height and 48 meters in width. Ad Deir (The Monastery) at Petra The Monastery is believed to have been constructed during the reign of Rabbel II Soter who was the last ruler of the Nabataean Kingdom, reigning for a period of 36 years from 70 CE to 106 CE. The architecture of the Monastery displays the classical Nabataean style , which is a blend of Hellenistic and Mesopotamian styles of construction.  The architecture of the Monastery displays the  classical Nabataean style The Hellenistic influence can be seen in the columns of the Monastery. The columns of the Monastery displays the  Hellenistic   style of construction The Mesopotamian style is evident in the single, large en...

The Philae Temple Complex is an island-based temple complex located in the reservoir of the Aswan Low Dam, downstream of the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser, Egypt. Originally located on the Philae Island (believed to be one of the burying places of the ancient Egyptian god Osiris), the temple complex was dismantled and relocated as part of UNESCO’s "International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia", to protect the monuments from the rising water levels of the Nile river. The temple complex is considered to be one of the best examples of the survival of pure Egyptian art, centuries after the last of the Pharaohs had ceased to reign over Egypt.  The first religious building on Philae is considered to be a shrine built by the 25th Dynasty Pharaoh Taharqa (estimated to have reigned from 690 BCE to 664 BCE) dedicated to the ancient Egyptian god Amun. However, the oldest temple known to have stood on the island was constructed by the 26th Dynasty Pharaoh Psamtik I (estimated t...

The Colossi of Memnon  are two massive statues constructed using blocks of quartzite sandstone. The statues represent the 18th dynasty  Pharaoh Amenhotep III  who ruled Egypt between 1390 BCE and 1352 BCE. The two statues stand at the front of the  Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III  (built by the main architect  Amenhotep, son of Hapu around 1350 BCE ) which is believed to have been destroyed by an earthquake which occurred around 1200 BCE. At the time of its’ construction, the temple was the  largest in the Necropolis of Thebes .   The Colossi of Memnon Even though, certain inscriptions may differ, the two statues are believed to have been identical to each other when they were initially constructed. The twin statues depict Pharaoh Amenhotep III in a seated position, his hands resting on his knees and facing towards the Nile River. There are two shorter figures carved into the front throne alongside his legs representing his wife Tiye and mother ...

Estimated to have been constructed somewhere around the 13 th Century CE, Wat Si Chum is a Buddhist temple located in the northern zone of the Sukhothai Historical Park , outside the historic walled city of Sukhothai ( the capital of the Sukhothai Kingdom of Thailand in the 13th and 14th Century CE). The temple is best known for its’ Mondop with the massive seated Buddha image which is partially visible from a distance.

Ta Prohm which was originally called Rajavihara (Royal Monastery) was a Mahayana Buddhist temple, monastery and a university. Its’ ruins are located approximately one kilometre  east of Angkor Thom in modern-day Siem Reap, Cambodia . Completed in 1186 CE during the reign of King Jayavarman VII (reigned from 1181 CE to 1218 CE), Ta Prohm is one of the most popular temples among the visitors to Angkor, due to the massive trees and roots growing out of its’ ruins.

Halin (also known as Hanlin ) located in the Sagaing Division of Myanmar was once an ancient city of the Pyu Kingdom : a group of city states founded by the Tibeto-Burman-speaking Pyu people  (the earliest inhabitants of Myanmar of whom records are still available). They were Buddhists of the "Sarvastivada" school. Estimated to have been established around the  1st or 2nd Century BCE , Halin was one of the earliest Pyu city states. It remained prominent until the 9th Century CE.

"Wat Mahathat" (“The Temple of the Great Relic”) was one of the most prominent Buddhist temples of Ayutthaya Kingdom : a Siamese Kingdom which existed from 1350 CE to 1767 CE in modern day Thailand. Located approximately 80 kilometres north of Thailand’s current capital Bangkok, it forms part of the Historic City of Ayutthaya (the capital city of the Ayutthaya Kingdom) which was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991 CE.

Borobudur Temple Compounds comprise of three Buddhist temples situated in the central region of the Indonesian Island of Java. The three temples: namely Borobudur, Mendut and Pawon which fall on an approximate straight line were constructed during the reign of the Sailendra Dynasty around the 8 th and 9 th Century CE.

Angkor Thom (alternatively referred to as "Nokor Thom" in Khmer, which translates to “Great City” ) was established by “King Jayavarman VII” (who reigned from 1181 CE to 1218 CE) during the late 12th Century CE. It was the last capital of the Khmer Empire. Covering an area of approximately nine square kilometres, Angkor Thom contains several monuments established by Jayavarman VII himself as well as his predecessors and successors. Some of the best-known monuments are the Bayon temple , the Terrace of the Elephants and t he Terrace of the Leper King.

Extending up to approximately 78 meters (255 feet) on each of its' four sides, Dhammayangyi Temple is the largest temple structure in Bagan and its' construction was never even completed. Dhammayangyi temple

Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park is located  in   Kamphaeng Phet province of Thailand. It is  about 360km north of Bangkok, about 80km south of Sukhothai and about 350km south of Chiang Mai.  Along with  Sukhothai Historical Park  and  Si Satchanalai historical park , it is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site named  “Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns”  (designated in 1991 CE).

In Yaśodharapura (modern day Angkor) which was once the capital of the Khmer Empire (from the late 9th century CE to the early 15th Century CE), lies Angkor Wat.  Once hidden amidst vast jungles and today bustling with tourists, it is the largest religious monument in the world. 

“Bagan” (classically referred to as "Arimaddanapura" ) contains l argest concentration of Buddhist pagodas and stupas in the world.  It is estimated that 4,446 Buddhist temples, pagodas and monasteries were constructed between the 11th and the 13th centuries CE. Over 3,500 of these remain to date.

T he Chenla Kingdom was once part of the Kingdom of Funan, a network of states which existed in Mainland South East Asia centered around the Mekong Delta from the 1 st to the 6 th century CE. By the end of the 6 th Century CE, Chenla is believed to have become a sovereign state, with “Bhavavarman I” becoming its’ first independent ruler (estimated to have reigned from 550 CE to 590 CE).