15 Beautiful Buildings Carved from ‘Living Rock’

Perhaps among some of the most astonishing buildings in the world are
those cut from living rock. Known as rock-cut architecture, buildings like this
can be found all over the world from Myanmar to Ethiopia and many contain
priceless works of ancient art. Some of these incredible carved caves date back
thousands of years while others are surprisingly a bit more modern than you’d
think. These 15 buildings carved from colossal cliffs, monoliths and volcanic
rock are breathtakingly beautiful and a fascinating look inside the traditions
of cultures long gone.

Ancient Rock City of Matera, Italy

In the ancient rock city of Matera in southwestern Italy, people live in the same exact homes that their ancestors did 9,000 years ago. Matera was created from a rocky ravine and the many natural caves in the area – called the ‘Sassi di Matera’ - were the first houses of the Neolithic inhabitants of the region. The caves create a labyrinth of houses, and it’s practically impossible to distinguish the natural rock formations from the ancient architecture. The houses seem to sprout from the rock in an organic way, creating somewhat of a tourist attraction from what was in the mid 20th century a ghost town. Matera was notably the setting for Mel Gibson’s film ‘The Passion of the Christ’.

Al-Hijr, Saudi Arabia

Among Saudi Arabia’s best-known architectural sites is Al Hijr, also known as Madain Saleh. The facades of the dwellings in Al Hijr were carved into the sandstone mountains sometime in the second millenium BC. Al Hijr – which literally means ‘rocky place’ – is believed to have been inhabited by the Nabataeans and the Thamud. It features water wells, well-preserved monumental tombs, inscriptions and cave drawings.

Temples of Damanhur, Valchuisella, Italy

Viewing photos of the Temples of Damanhur, carved into the rock under the village of Valchuisella, Italy, one might think they’re an ancient wonder. But what the Italian government has deemed “the 8th wonder of the world” is actually a modern product of one man’s very active imagination. A 57-year-old former insurance broker created the ornate temples, occupying almost 300,000 cubic feet, in secret over a period of 16 years. Oberto Airaudi selected the hillside for its sturdy rock, built an unassuming house and began excavating underneath it. The self-described ‘paranormal’ eccentric had volunteers work in 4-hour shifts to create the nine chambers full of astonishing murals, mosaics, statues, secret doors and stained glass windows. Airaudi’s entire story is a long and bizarre one, and though some may deem his creations a bit gaudy, the fact that he pulled all of this off certainly is amazing.


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