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{{Short description|Structures and sculptures cut into solid rock}}
[[File:Abu Simbel main temple.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|The [[Abu Simbel temples|Great Temple of Abu Simbel]] (ca. 1280 BCE), one of the earliest known examples of rock-cut architecture.]]
'''Rock-cut architecture''' is the creation of structures, buildings, and sculptures by excavating solid [[Rock (geology)|rock]] where it naturally occurs. Intensely laborious when using ancient tools and methods, rock-cut architecture was presumably combined with quarrying the rock for use elsewhere. Though, in India and China, the terms ''cave'' and ''cavern'' are often applied to this form of man-made architecture, caves and caverns that began in natural form are not considered to be rock-cut architecture even if extensively modified.<ref>Francis Ching, [[Mark Jarzombek]], Vikramaditya Prakash, ''A Global History of Architecture'' (Wiley, 2006)</ref> Although rock-cut structures differ from traditionally built structures in many ways, many rock-cut structures are made to replicate the facade or interior of traditional architectural forms. Interiors were usually carved out by starting at the roof of the planned space and then working downward. This technique prevents stones falling on workers below. The three main uses of rock-cut architecture were [[temples]] (like those in [[Indian rock-cut architecture|India]]), [[tomb]]s, and cave dwellings (like those in [[Cappadocia]]).

A related term, [[monolithic architecture]], refers to free-standing structures made of a single piece of material. Monolithic architecture is often rock-cut, as in the [[Ellora Kailasanathar Temple]], but monolithic structures may also be cast of artificial material, such as [[concrete]]. The largest monolithic statue in the world, the [[Gommateshwara statue]] of [[Bahubali]] at [[Shravanabelagola]] in the [[States and union territories of India|Indian state]] of [[Karnataka]], was carved in 983 CE from a single block of granite.<ref>[http://www.culturalindia.net/monuments/gomateswara.html Statue of Gomateswara]</ref><ref>[http://www.unbelievableinfo.com/2013/12/worlds-biggest-monolithic-statue.html World's biggest monolithic Statue]</ref>

[[File:Kailasa temple overview, Ellora.jpg|thumb| The [[Kailasa temple, Ellora|Kailasa temple]], part of the [[Ellora Caves]]]]

Some rock-cut architecture is excavated entirely in chambers under the surface of relatively level rock. This is especially common in [[rock-cut tombs]]. Excavations instead made into the side of a cliff or steep slope can feature an impressive facade, as in [[Lycia]]n tombs, [[Petra]], and the [[Ajanta Caves]]. The most laborious and imposing rock-cut architecture is the excavation of tall free-standing monolithic structures entirely below the surface level of the surrounding rock, in a large excavated hole around the structure. [[Ellora Caves|Ellora]] in India and the [[Zagwe dynasty|Zagwe]]-built [[Monolithic church#Lalibela|Lalibela]] in [[Ethiopia]] provide some of the most famous examples of such structures. Many parts of the world feature [[rock relief]]s, [[relief]] sculptures carved into rock faces, often outside caves.

[[File: Shravanabelagola Bahubali wideframe.jpg|thumb|The 57-foot (17 m) tall monolithic [[Gommateshwara statue]], built in 981 CE]]

==History==
[[Image:MidasSehri.Tomb.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Midas Monument]], a [[Phrygia]]n rock-cut tomb dedicated to [[Midas]] (700 BCE).]]
Ancient monuments of rock-cut architecture are widespread in several regions of world. A small number of Neolithic tombs in Europe, such as the {{circa|3,000 B.C.}} [[Dwarfie Stane]] on the Orkney island of Hoy, were cut directly from the rock, rather than constructed from stone blocks.

Alteration of naturally formed caverns, although distinct from completely carved structures in the strict sense, date back to the neolithic period on several Mediterranean islands e.g. [[Malta]] ([[Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni]]), [[Sardinia]] (Anghelu Ruju, built between 3,000 and 1,500 BCE) and others.

{{multiple image
| align = right
| caption_align = center
| image1 = River Dalyan Tombs RB4.jpg
| width1 = 185
| caption1 = Lycian tombs cut into the cliffs along the river in [[Dalyan]], [[Turkey]] (4th century BCE).
| image2 = Pinara Lycian tomb.jpg
| width2 = 100
| caption2 = [[Lycia]]n rock-cut tomb with ogival [[Barrel vault|barrel-vaulted]] roof, 4th century BCE.
}}
During the [[Bronze Age]], [[Nubia]]n ancestors of the [[Kingdom of Kush]] built speos between 3700 and 3250 BCE. This greatly influenced the architecture of the [[New kingdom]].<ref>{{cite book| last = Bianchi| first = Robert Steven| title = Daily Life of the Nubians| year = 2004| publisher = [[Greenwood Publishing Group]]| isbn = 978-0-313-32501-4| page = 227 }}</ref>
Large-scale rock-cut structures were built in [[Ancient Egypt]]. Among these monuments was the Great Temple of [[Ramesses II]], known as [[Abu Simbel temples|Abu Simbel]], located along the Nile in [[Nubia]], near the borders of [[Sudan]] about 300 kilometers from [[Aswan]] in [[Egypt]]. It dates from about the [[19th Dynasty]] (ca. 1280 BCE), and consists of a monumentally scaled facade carved out of the cliff and a set of interior chambers that form its sanctuary.<ref>Aidan Dodson. ''Egyptian Rock-Cut Tombs''. Shire Publications 1999.</ref>

In the 8th century, the [[Phrygia]]ns started some of the earliest rock-cut monuments, such as the [[Midas monument]] (700 BCE), dedicated to the famous Phrygian king [[Midas]].<ref name="GHA"/><ref name="Search84">{{cite book |last1=Roller |first1=Lynn E. |title=In Search of God the Mother: The Cult of Anatolian Cybele |date=1999 |publisher=[[University of California Press]] |isbn=9780520919686 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/insearchofgodmot00roll/page/84 84]–110 |url=https://archive.org/details/insearchofgodmot00roll |url-access=registration |language=en}}</ref>

In the 5th century BCE, the [[Lycians]], who inhabited southern Anatolia (now [[Turkey]]) built hundreds of [[rock-cut tombs]] of a similar type, but smaller in scale.<ref>[http://www.lycianturkey.com/lycian_tombs.htm Lycian tombs]</ref> Excellent examples are to be found near [[Dalyan]], a town in Muğla Province, along the sheer cliffs that faces a river. Since these served as tombs rather than as religious sites, the interiors were usually small and unassuming. The ancient [[Etruscans]] of central Italy also left an important legacy of rock-cut architecture, mostly tombs, as those near the cities of [[Tarquinia]] and [[Vulci]].
[[File:Tomb of Avshalom in the Kidron Valley;.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Tomb of Absalom]] ([[Kidron Valley]]), with [[Rock-cut tombs in ancient Israel|rock-cut lower half]]]]
The creation of [[rock-cut tombs in ancient Israel]] began in the 8th-century BCE and continued through the Byzantine period. The [[Tomb of Absalom]] was constructed in the 1st century CE in the [[Kidron Valley]] of [[Jerusalem]].

[[File:Lomas_Rishi_entrance.jpg|thumb|[[Lomas Rishi]], one of the first rock-cut caves in [[India]], 250 BCE.]]
Rock-cut architecture occupies a particularly important place in the history of Indian Architecture. The earliest instances of [[Indian rock-cut architecture]], the [[Barabar caves]], date from about the 3rd to the 2nd century BCE. They were built by the [[Buddhist]] monks and consisted mostly of multi-storey buildings carved into the mountain face to contain living and sleeping quarters, kitchens, and monastic spaces.<ref>S. Nagaraju ''Buddhist Architecture of Western India, c. 250 BC – AD 300'' (Agam Kala Prakashan, 1981)</ref> Some of these monastic caves had shrines in them to the Buddha, bodhisattvas and saints.<ref>Vidya Dehejia, ''Early Buddhist Rock Temples; a Chronology.'' ([[Cornell University Press]], 1972)</ref> As time progressed, the interiors became more elaborate and systematized; surfaces were often decorated with paintings, such as those at [[Ajanta Caves|Ajanta]]. At the beginning of the 7th century [[Hindu]] rock-cut temples began to be constructed at Ellora. Unlike most previous examples of rock-cut architecture which consisted of a facade plus an interior, these temples were complete three-dimensional buildings created by carving away the hillside. They required several generations of planning and coordination to complete. Other major examples of rock-cut architecture in India are at [[Ajanta Caves|Ajanta]] and [[Pataleshwar]].

[[File:The Treasury from above, Petra, Jordan (34247879312).jpg|thumb|[[Al Khazneh]] or the Treasury at Petra]]
Artisans in the [[Nabataean]] city of [[Petra]], in modern [[Jordan]], extended the Western Asian tradition, carving their temples and tombs into the yellowish-orange rock that defines the canyons and gullies of the region. These structures, dating from 1st century BCE to about 2nd century CE, are particularly important in the history of architecture given their experimental forms.<ref>Rababeh, Shaher M. Rababeh, "How Petra was Built: an Analysis of the Construction Techniques of the Nabataean Freestanding Buildings and Rock-cut Monuments in Petra, Jordan" (Oxford, England: Archaeopress), 2005.</ref> Here too, because the structures served as tombs, the interiors were rather perfunctory. In Petra one even finds a theater where the seats are cut out of the rock.

[[File:Longmen-grottoes-longmen-mountain-from-a-distance.jpg|left|thumb|Mount Longmen as seen from Manshui Bridge to the southeast.]]
The technological skills associated with making these complex structures moved into China along the trade routes. The [[Longmen Grottoes]], the [[Mogao Caves]], and the [[Yungang Grottoes]] consist of hundreds of caves many with statues of Buddha in them. Most were built between 460 and 525 CE. There are extensive rock-cut buildings, including houses and churches in [[Cappadocia]], Turkey.<ref>Spiro Kostof, ''Caves of God: the Monastic Environment of Byzantine Cappadocia'' (MIT Press, 1972). Vidya Dehejia, (Cornell University Press, 1972)</ref> They were built over a span of hundreds of years prior to the 5th century CE. Emphasis here was more on the interiors than the exteriors.

Another extensive site of rock-cut architecture is in [[Monolithic church#Lalibela|Lalibela]], a town in northern [[Ethiopia]]. The area contains numerous [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church|Orthodox churches]] in three dimensions, as at Ellora, that were carved out of the rock. These structures, which date from the 12th and 13th centuries CE and which are the last significant examples of this architectural form, ranks as among the most magnificent examples of rock-cut architecture in the world, with both interior and exterior brought to fruition.{{Citation needed|date=January 2008}}

==Art ==
Ancient rock cut tombs, temples and monasteries often have been adorned with frescoes and reliefs. The high resistance of natural cliff, skilled use of plaster and constant microclimate often have helped to preserve this art in better condition than in conventional buildings. Such exceptional examples are the ancient and early medieval frescoes in such locations as [[Bamyan Buddhas|Bamyan Caves]] in Afghanistan with the most ancient known oil paintings in the world from 8th century CE, [[Ajanta Caves]] in India with well preserved [[tempera]] paintings from 2nd century BCE, Christian frescoes on [[Churches of Göreme, Turkey]] and numerous other monuments in Asia, Europe and Africa.
[[File:IhlaraTal.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Selime, Güzelyurt|Selime]] Cathedral, A [[Rock-cut architecture of Cappadocia|rock-cut]] temple in [[Cappadocia]] (9th century CE)]]
[[File:Bete_Giyorgis_Lalibela.jpg|thumb|right|One of the 13 rock-hewn churches at [[Lalibela]], [[Ethiopia]], entirely cut out of the rock surface (c. 1000 CE)]]

==Chronology==
* Egyptian rock-cut tombs (1450 BCE, [[Thebes, Egypt|Thebes]], [[Egypt]]).<ref name="GHA">{{cite book |last1=Ching |first1=Francis D. K. |last2=Jarzombek |first2=Mark M. |last3=Prakash |first3=Vikramaditya |title=A Global History of Architecture |date=2010 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1118007396 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=isuTDpkqdk8C&pg=PA164 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Hittites|Hittite]] rock-cut sanctuaries (1250 BCE).<ref name="GHA"/>
* [[Phrygia]]n rock-cut tombs such as the [[Yazılıkaya, Eskişehir|Midas monument]] (700 BCE).<ref name="GHA"/><ref name="Search84" />
* [[Etruscan civilization|Etruscan]] rock-cut tombs, [[Etruria]], [[Italy]] (500 BCE).<ref name="GHA"/>
* Tomb of [[Darius I]] ([[Naqsh-e Rostam]] (480 BCE).<ref name="GHA"/>
* [[Lycia]]n rock-cut tombs (4th century BCE).<ref name="GHA"/>
* [[Barabar caves]], [[India]] (250 BCE).<ref name="GHA"/>
* [[Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves]], [[India]] (2nd century BCE).{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}
* [[Buddhist caves in India|Buddhist caves]], Western Ghats, [[India]] (100 BCE).<ref name="GHA"/>
* [[Petra]], [[Jordan]] (100 CE).<ref name="GHA"/>
* [[Buddhist caves in India|Buddhist caves]], Northwestern [[India]] (100 CE).<ref name="GHA"/>
* Houses, [[Termantia|Tiermes]], [[Spain]] (100 CE)
* Buddhist caves, [[Dunhuang]], [[China]] (400 CE).<ref name="GHA"/>
* [[Buddhist caves in India|Buddhist caves]], [[Ajanta Caves|Ajanta]], [[India]] (480 CE).<ref name="GHA"/>
* [[Hindu temple]], [[Elephanta Caves|Elephanta]], [[India]] (600 CE).<ref name="GHA"/>
* [[Hindu temple]], Southern [[India]] (650–750 CE).<ref name="GHA"/>
* Hindu, Buddhist and Jain caves, [[Ellora]], [[India]] (700–900 CE).<ref name="GHA"/>
* Churches, [[Cappadoccia]], [[Turkey]] (900 CE).<ref name="GHA"/>
* Churches, [[Lalibela]], [[Ethiopia]] (1000 CE).<ref name="GHA"/>

==See also==
{{Div col|colwidth=26em}}
*[[Cliff dwelling]]
*[[Rock-cut architecture of Cappadocia]]
*{{annotated link|Monolithic church}}
*{{annotated link|Dugout (shelter)}}
*{{annotated link|Yaodong}}
*{{annotated link|List of cave monasteries}}
*{{annotated link|Ostrog Monastery}}
*{{annotated link|Degua Tembien}}, Ethiopia
*{{annotated link|Thamud}}
*[[List of archaeological sites by country]]
*[[List of colossal sculpture in situ]]
*[[List of largest monoliths]]
*{{annotated link|Indian rock-cut architecture}}
*[[List of rock-cut temples in India]]
*[[Megalith]]
*{{annotated link|Rock-cut tomb}}
*{{annotated link|Naqsh-e Rustam}}
*{{annotated link|Kandovan, Osku}}
*[[Stone sculpture]]
*[[Underground construction]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* Burgess, James and Fergusson J. ''Cave Temples of India.'' (London: W.H. Allen & Co., 1880. Delhi: Munshiram Manohar Lal Publishers Pvt Ltd., Delhi, 2005).{{ISBN?}}

{{Man-made and man-related Subterranea}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roc kdut Architecture}}
[[Category:Hellenistic civilization]]
[[Category:Architectural history]]
[[Category:Sacral architecture]]
[[Category:Subterranea (geography)]]
[[Category:Rock-cut architecture| ]]

Rock-cut architecture - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article