Saturday, Aug 15, 2020, 8:37 am

By:Mike Litzler

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1.Dazu again

This rock carving has to show an Emperor and his wife in yet another typically Chinese scene. You would think that they were ivory as they are so smooth and so well done that it is amazing to think it is not only out of stone, but also done with basic tools. The folds in the cloth, the beard, everything about it makes this carving very, very cool.

2.Gwalior

Gwalior is a site in Uttar Pradesh, India and it is carved quite deeply into the rock at least with this section. It is also a religious scene, as are most of them in this area, and there is quite a lot going on with the relief. It does point towards the Jain religion more than anything else, so perhaps it is best just to admire them for what they are rather than try to understand them too much.

3.Dazu Bao Ding

Going back to this Dazu site is important as there are a number of carvings there that are outstanding. This is another Chinese scene and just like the previous example it is fine not understanding fully what is going on as long as you can appreciate the work that has gone into creating them in the first place. The craftsmanship is amazing and you can see why so many people visit the site on a regular basis.

4.Cairo

This is yet another example from Cairo where a typically Christian scene is shown with Jesus Christ as the main figure. The carving in this may not be the best quality, but the overall image is certainly well done and once again it is amazing it has survived. This carving is also thanks to the Christian church in the country.

5.Shanghai

On the outskirts of Shanghai you are going to come across this rather peaceful scene showing three Buddhas in different poses. It is clear that Buddhists love to carve things and they are also pretty good at it as this is another prime example of the detail and love that they put into their work. The fact that there are three different styles of Buddha does not have to represent it being carved at different times either, although it is difficult to imagine one single guy doing all of this work by himself.

6.Muqattam again

This site is amazing as we include another carving from the site of Muqattam in Egypt. This one is different in that some color has been added to the scene and it is clear that the entire mountain is covered in such scenes allowing the Coptic church to really show their beliefs. The time it took to carve this would have been unbelievable and the end result is something amazing.

7.Leshan

This Buddha carving is the biggest in the world and the surprising thing is that it is over 1000 years old. You can find it in Sichuan province, China and you get an idea of the scale of the thing when you see the people at the bottom not even getting up to the top of the toes. Imagine the work that had to go into this especially when they did not have the same tools as today. It really is amazing.

8.Muqattam Mountain

This carving on Muqattam mountain in Cairo, Egypt is actually because of a monastery in the city and is linked to the Christian Coptic faith in the country. As you can see it depicts a Biblical scene with the infant Jesus on a donkey and it is amazing to think that this is in a Muslim country and is till in this condition.

9.Yungang

This is another fantastic example of mountain carvings in China with this carving appearing at a site called Yungang, which is located north-west of Beijing. As you can see it represents Buddha and it really is huge with it measuring over 30 feet high. Once again it is what it represents that is the important part here rather than the quality of the carving, but it is still an amazing sight to see.

10.Dazu rock carvings

These rock carvings are at a site in China called Dazu and as you can see from this image there is quite a lot going on. The scene is depicting a traditional Chinese scene and it is quite a complicated image to fully understand. The work that has gone into it is outstanding even though the quality of the carving may not be the best.

11.Crazy Horse memorial

This Crazy Horse memorial is 641 feet wide and 563 feet high and it is located not too far from Mount Rushmore itself. It has been under construction for decades and it is a wonderful carving that manages to portray a lot of emotion when you are even just looking at it. There is still so much to do as it is not just this head that you see, but also a warrior on a horse although whether that will ever be done is up for debate.

12.Ataturk

This carving in Istanbul shows the head of Ataturk and when it comes to Turkey, then he really was an influential figure. He was of course the first president of Turkey after the fall of the Ottoman Empire and really did help to build Turkey into the country that it is today. This founding father of the country probably does deserve his head on a mountain in all honesty, so it is nice to see it happen.

13.Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore is going to be the most famous mountain carving of them all and indeed it gets a vast number of visitors on a daily basis. The carving of course shows the heads of four US presidents with George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln all appearing. The carving is massive as each head is 60 feet high meaning you can see it for miles.

14.Petra

This can still count as a mountain carving, but it is on a massive scale since you have all of this detail and can then step inside to see what lies behind the fa�ade. OK it might not be like a statue, but it is still carved out of the stone and this does mean that it deserves its place in a list of amazing mountain carvings. Petra is an amazing place, just ask Indiana Jones.

15.Stone Mountain

Situated in Georgia, Stone Mountain is a massive carving of Confederate notables and indeed it is one of the biggest mountain carvings anywhere in the world. The three people in it at Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and Jefferson Davis and it was finished in 1972 even though the idea was first put forward in 1916. The detail is amazing and this is undoubtedly a carving you will love.

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