I couldn’t believe my good fortune when I stumbled across the existence of an entire genre of structural design known as Rock Cut Architecture, described in the previous article. I could hardly contain my glee although I still had more work ahead of me. There were so many examples from widely varied parts of the world that I couldn’t possibly fit them into a single article. That made this follow-on post necessary, with additional illustrations from several more nations.
Ellora Caves, India
India became such an epicenter for buildings and rooms carved from stone that it had its own distinct subcategory, Indian Rock Cut Architecture. It wasn’t just one culture or religion either. Followers of several beliefs and faiths practiced and perfected this art. These structures rose in numerous places. One of the best was the Ellora Caves in Maharashtra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
“These 34 monasteries and temples, extending over more than 2 km, were dug side by side in the wall of a high basalt cliff, not far from Aurangabad, in Maharashtra. Ellora, with its uninterrupted sequence of monuments dating from A.D. 600 to 1000, brings the civilization of ancient India to life. Not only is the Ellora complex a unique artistic creation and a technological exploit but, with its sanctuaries devoted to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, it illustrates the spirit of tolerance that was characteristic of ancient India.”
A Hindu Structure known as Cave 16 or the Kailasa temple (map) was particularly impressive. This massive structure unfolded on multiple levels so sculptors had to carve it from the top down. It dated to the reign of Krishna I in the Eight Century.
Yungang Grottoes, China
English speakers often called rock cut architecture in India “caves”. But in China they called them “grottoes”. I didn’t know why. I simply observed that China placed a close second to India in terms of rock cut prevalence and impressiveness.
There were several expansive sites, notably the Yungang Grottoes near Datong in Shanxi Province (map). These were Buddhist structures from the Fifth and Sixth Centuries. Buddhism moved north from India as did a penchant for rock cut architecture. At Yungang, devotees carved more than 250 openings and 50,000 statues into the Wuzhou Shan mountains, “a classical masterpiece of the first peak of Chinese Buddhist art.”
Vardzia Monastery, Georgia
Then Vardzia in Georgia (map) represented an instance of carving into stone for protection as much using it as a convenient building material.
“In desperate circumstances people are often driven to perform feats of mythical proportions. In the late 1100s the medieval kingdom of Georgia was resisting the onslaught of the Mongol hordes, the most devastating force Europe had ever seen. Queen Tamar ordered the construction of this underground sanctuary in 1185, and the digging began, carving into the side of the Erusheli mountain, located in the south of the country near the town of Aspindza.”
Once completed, the Vardzia Monastery contained multiple levels and thousands of rooms, stretching over a half kilometre of mountainside. Invaders weren’t a problem although natural forces took a heavy toll. An earthquake caused many of the cells to collapse after only a century.
Coober Pedy, Australia
The popularity of rock-cut architecture faded many centuries ago. Specifically, the technique was incredibly labor and time intensive. In the meantime, other building techniques and materials continued to improve. Nonetheless, this distinctive style survive into the modern era although generally during unusual circumstances such as those found at Coober Pedy in South Australia (map).
Coober Pedy was one of those places that probably had no reason to exist except that it happened to sit atop enough gemstones to crown itself “Opal Capital of the World.” Otherwise it was a harsh desert climate not particularly conducive to civilization. For one, there weren’t any local material available to build anything to shelter those who mined for opals. However, the surrounding bedrock was perfect for digging. So local inhabitants did just that and created “dugouts”. People simply carved into hillsides.
“The early Coober Pedy dugouts were indeed the holes that had been dug in search for opal. Today opal mining in the town area of Coober Pedy is not allowed any more. But hey, you can always renovate or expand, Need another shelf? Dig a hole in the wall. Shelf not big enough for the new stereo? Dig a bit deeper. A walk in robe? Dig a big hole. Another bed room? Not a problem! And always the off chance of finding some opal… In reality nobody digs by hand any more. Any new building work is done by modern tunneling machines.”
Many homes and businesses in the area feature dugout construction, as do two churches, one Catholic and the other Serbian Orthodox. Residents of these structures also benefit from a constant comfortable temperature. Whether the desert at the surface hits scorching hot or freezing cold, it always remains nice underground. Rock cut architecture might not be an optimal choice in most places today although it seems to be a great solution for Coober Pedy.
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