5 ancient engineering marvels you must visit that continue to amaze us!

Ever thought of how the Ellora caves were built, how the Moai statues of Easter Island were moved, or how many workers were involved in building the pyramids? Well, the endless list of ancient engineering marvels have been and will keep fascinating the curiosity in you. These extraordinary feats of engineering, without any doubt, required incredible technical skill, creativity, innovation, and last but not the least, a huge amount of manual labour. Today, we take you to some of these places, which you should try visiting at least once in your lifetime.

A glance at the Moai statues on Easter Island will surprise you, shock you, and will prompt you to think again how and why they are here in the first place. It’s needless to mention also that these are some of the most enigmatic ancient monuments. As per the experts, a simple tool called ‘toki’ was used to carve these monolithic statues, and that it took almost a year to complete one. For your information, there are more than 800 such statues. Also, since they weigh up to 80 tonnes, and were placed atop chieftains' tombs, how they were moved remains a mystery till date. As per some theories, these statues were rolled on logs, while others are of the opinion that they were transported upright. Whatever the theory is, the mystery remains unresolved till date.

These structures will take you by surprise for sure. Built between AD 1150-1300 during the Pueblo III period, this place features a series of 600 ancient cliffside dwellings carved into sandstone alcoves. Most of these structures sit on solid bedrock, which likely offered the residents protection from other elements. Although most of the dwellings are small and feature just a few rooms, the most famous structure, Cliff Palace, has more than 150 rooms and 23 kivas (refers to huge circular rooms used for rituals). It’s still a mystery why this place was left abandoned when arduous effort was required to build this cliffside village.

Borobudur, the world’s largest Buddhist temple, remained hidden under layers of volcanic ash and jungle growth until its rediscovery in 1835. Despite its enormous size, very little is known about its construction or original purpose. It’s believed that Borobudur took around 75 years to complete, using andesite, a volcanic rock sourced from nearby quarries, which was cut, transported, and laid without mortar. Its walls feature thousands of carved reliefs that offer potential clues about its past.

It’s one of the sacred sites in India that houses temples and monasteries carved from volcanic basalt stone. The centrepiece is the Kailasa Temple, a 104-foot-high rock-cut monument, believed to be the largest of its kind. The temple features intricate architectural details, including bases, beams, and carved reliefs. Ellora Caves, located near the city of Aurangabad, showcases the prowess of ancient Indian craftsmanship and religious devotion.

Carved into red sandstone cliffs in southwest China, the Leshan Giant Buddha took 90 years to build during the Tang Dynasty. Standing at 233 ft tall, it’s the world’s tallest Buddha statue. The monument's intricate drainage system prevents erosion, and its colossal features, including 23-ft ears, and feet large enough to hold 100 people, showcase the craftsmanship of the era.