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 entrance and the plain, wi

Al-Khazneh, widely known as the Treasury is an elaborate rock cut tomb in Petra , a city of the Nabatean Kingdom (312 BCE – 106 CE) located in Southern Jordan . Al-Khazneh is estimated to have been constructed during the reign of the Nabatean King Aretas IV of Philopatris  (reigned approximately from 9 BCE to 40 CE). It  was carved out of a sandstone rock face and is estimated to be almost 40 meters in height. Al-Khazneh (The Treasury) at Petra The first glimpse of Al-Khazneh upon exiting the Siq, the narrow gorge which leads visitors into Petra The name Treasury is attributed to the legends surrounding the urn made of sandstone which sits high on the second level of the monument . The local Bedouins believed that the urn contained treasures. This myth is linked to the biblical legend of Moses and the Israelites escaping from Egypt. As per the local belief, the Egyptian Pharaoh and at least part of his army escaped the closing of the Dead Sea and continued after Moses. The Pharaoh

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 Great Sphinx of Giza is a limestone statue of a reclining Sphinx (a mythical creature with the head of a human, and the body of a lion). It stands on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt. The Great Sphinx of Giza The Great Sphinx is the oldest known monumental sculpture in Egypt . Its’ original shape was cut from the bedrock and was subsequently restored with layers of limestone blocks. The nose of the monument was broken at some point during the 2nd Millennium CE. The most famous story is that Napoleon Bonaparte shot the nose of the Great Sphinx with a cannonball during the French invasion of Egypt. However, historical records suggest that the invasion took place between 1798 CE and 1801 CE, whereas there were paintings of the Great Sphinx with its broken nose from as far back as the 17th century CE. The other story is that in 1378 CE, a religious rebel by the name of Mohamed Sa'm al-Dahr was responsible for destroying the nose. Neither story has been

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 Mutemwiya. The features above the waist