What shape is the Biete Giyorgis church in Lalibela?
Chapter 1

Wonders carved from stone

Chapter 2

Nature's strangest sanctuaries

Chapter 3

Lost empires and jungle ruins

Chapter 4

Masterpieces of human ingenuity

YOUR GOAL

Master of The world's wildest heritage sites

Ch 1 · Wonders carved from stone
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Quiz

Carved from the soft volcanic rock of Cappadocia, Turkey, the subterranean UNESCO World Heritage site of Derinkuyu could shelter up to 20,000 people. What unique engineering feature did its residents use to seal off individual tunnels and protect themselves from invaders?

Sep 23

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schopenhauer Kailasa Temple

Carved from the top down, a mountain of stone! (A mountain of stone!) / Kailasa stands on its own! (Stands on its own!)

Sep 3

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schopenhauer The hidden subterranean city of Derinkuyu

Sep 3

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The rose-red desert canyon of Petra

schopenhauer An ancient desert metropolis carved directly into sandstone cliffs by the Nabataeans over two thousand years ago.

Sep 3

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The hidden subterranean city of Derinkuyu

schopenhauer Cappadocia's massive subterranean city could shelter up to 20,000 people from invaders deep beneath the earth.

Sep 3

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Little Stone Wonders
BETA

schopenhauer Match these unique stone monuments to discover the secrets of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Sep 3

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Fun Fact

Lalibela's tunnels: Lalibela's churches are connected by a maze of dark, narrow underground tunnels designed to symbolize the journey to heaven.

Sep 3

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Glossary
monolith (noun)
A large single block of stone shaped into a monument or architectural structure. At Lalibela, thirteenth-century builders crafted eleven spectacular churches, each carved as a single subterranean monolith.

Sep 3

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Gossip

Which underground wonder would you explore first?

Sep 3

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Quiz

Carved deep into soft volcanic stone, the ancient subterranean city of Derinkuyu in Turkey is an engineering marvel. How was this massive underground site accidentally rediscovered in 1963?

Sep 23

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schopenhauer The rose-red desert canyon of Petra

Sep 3

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Quiz

The monolithic rock churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are famous for which unique architectural feat?

Sep 23

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schopenhauer The monolithic rock churches of Lalibela

Sep 3

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Quiz

Which ancient civilization carved the desert city of Petra in modern-day Jordan?

Sep 3

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schopenhauer The ancient painted caves of Ajanta

Sep 3

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Quiz

How deep does the underground city of Derinkuyu in Turkey reach?

Sep 3

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Quiz

In what year were the ancient Buddhist Ajanta Caves in India rediscovered by a British officer?

Sep 3

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Quiz

Which Ethiopian king ordered the construction of the eleven monolithic stone churches in Lalibela?

Sep 3

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Quiz

What was used to seal the tunnels of the Derinkuyu underground city from intruders?

Sep 3

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Quiz

Along which river's horseshoe-shaped gorge are the Ajanta Caves in India located?

Sep 3