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Any sculpture or monument has the potential to be impressive, but there’s something about the intricate carving of stone that has fascinated the masses as far back as ancient Egyptian times (some might argue longer). Whether these sculptures were created for historical, religious or simply aesthetic reasons, we’ve chiseled down the top 10 across the globe.
Mount Rushmore, near Keystone, South Dakota, United States
One of the most visited stone-carved sites in the United States, this relatively modern sculpture took more than 14 years to create and tens of thousands of pounds of dynamite. Sculpted by Gutzon and Lincoln Borglum, the figures of former U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln cover the granite façade of Mount Rushmore. Each figure is about 60 feet tall and the entire memorial stretches more than 1,200 acres across the Black Hills.
Moai, Easter Island, Polynesia
These monolithic statues, carved by the Rapa Nai, still have historians and scientists baffled as to how exactly they were transported all over the island. The nearly 900 statues weigh, on average, 14 tons and stand about 13 feet tall. They are thought to have been erected between 1400 and 1600 A.D., and while there is no written record of their exact significance, it is believed they represent various chiefs of the Rapa Nai.
The Great Sphinx of Giza, Giza, Egypt
The oldest and largest monolith statue in the world, the Great Sphinx has become synonymous with the ancient Egyptian architecture of Giza. Towering at 67 feet tall and 240 feet long, the half-lion, half-human figure dates back to somewhere between 2558 and 2532 B.C. Many Egyptologists believe it was fashioned after Pharoah Khafra, the reigning pharaoh of the time. Centuries later, in 1378, the statue’s nose was destroyed and the culprit was hanged for vandalism.
Statue Heads, Mount Nemrut, Turkey
The statue heads at Mount Nemrut might not seem like anything out of the ordinary to the regular stone-statue enthusiast. However, slightly up the mountain from where these heads stand, the bodies belonging to them are still seated stoically. A casualty of iconoclasm, the heads of the statues appear to have been deliberately damaged and were never restored to their original bodies. Now, with the site having been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list, it seems the heads will remain where they are.
Leshan Giant Buddha, Leshan, Sichuan, China
Carved during the Tang dynasty (618-907 A.D.), the Leshan Giant Buddha is the largest Buddha statue in the world, towering at 233 feet tall. It is believed that a Chinese Monk, Haitong, spearheaded the project hoping the Buddha would calm the water for boats traveling down river. Due to the significant construction on the cliff and the large amount of stone dumped into the river while carving the Buddha, the currents were believed to have actually changed and the river became safer for boats.
Dazu Rock Carvings, Chongquing, Dazu, China
More than 10,000 religious carvings, dating as far back as the ninth century, are cut into the cliff sides of Dazu. Depicting Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and ordinary life, the carvings symbolize the harmonious relationship between these three religions. The Dazu carvings are also the most preserved version of ancient temple art China has today.
Ancient City of Petra, Ma’an, Jordan
The cultural gem of Petra is Jordan’s most prized place for visitors, attracting tourists from all over the world looking to immerse themselves in an ancient stone-carved city. An important passage point in ancient times between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, Petra is believed to have been established around 300 B.C. Sometimes referred to as The Rose City because of the color of the buildings, the entire city is carved out of the red sandstone cliffs that surround it.
Lycian Tombs, near Dalyan, Anatolia, Turkey
The façade of these impressive structures, carved from the sheer cliffs above River Dalyan, date back to 400 B.C. These six tombs are famous for the intricate carving detail on their exterior, which contrasts their spare interiors. Boat trips are a great way to see and appreciate the sheer magnitude of these carvings from the river.
Persepolis, Fars Province, Iran
The magnificent ancient capital of Persepolis was founded by Darium I in 518 B.C. and later burned in 300 B.C. by Alexander the Great. This archaeological wonder has since been restored and much of it recreated after it was excavated in the 1930s. Today it stands as a historical symbol of the greatness of Achaemenid dynasty that ruled Persepolis for a short time before its destruction.
Angkor Wat, Angkor, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Known as the largest religious monument in the world, the Buddhist temple of Angkor is one of southeast Asia’s most significant archeological wonders and continues to be a place for excavation today. An example of classic Khmer architecture, Angkor Wat was built at the beginning of the 12th century, originally as a Hindu temple of worship for the god Vishnu. The entire temple is created completely from carved stone and stretches more than 150 square miles.
(Main image: Mulligan Stu)
