The Most Mysterious Ancient Temples Ever Built

Ancient temples are structures that served spiritual or religious purposes for our ancestors who practiced certain old religions like Hinduism or Buddhism. Countless of these ancient temples, which have been built centuries and even thousands of years ago, can be found in different parts of the globe. While these structures are highly-regarded today for their stunning beauty and their cultural significance, there are those among us who see these temples mainly as an enigma.

Some experts in history and archaeology are impressed at the obvious complexity required to build these ancient temples. And considering that they were made at a time when people did not have the luxury, efficiency and precision of modern technology, it is a wonder how our ancestors achieved such a feat that some consider being next to impossible. 

However, aside from the glaring question of how these ancient temples were built, these structures are also a subject of several other mysteries involving their origins, the real and unknown purpose of their construction, and so much more.

And so for this video, let’s talk about five (5) of the most mysterious ancient temples ever built on Earth. 

#1 — The Konark Sun Temple in India

Situated in Orissa, India, this 13th-century Sun Temple is said to have been built by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty back in 1255 C.E. What’s interesting about this temple complex is that it is constructed to emulate the shape of a massive chariot, and the temple’s 24 elaborately carved wheels which are pulled by seven horses are some of its most distinctive features. These wheels are believed to function as sundials, which can be utilized in the precise and accurate calculation of time through the shadows cast by the wheels’ spokes. 

The majority of the Konark Sun Temple is now in ruins, and local legend asserts that the collapse of the main sanctum was caused by the extraction of the 52-ton magnetized rod located at its center. They also say that this large magnet allowed for the mid-air levitation of the sun temple’s main statue.

#2 — The Temple of the Feathered Serpent Temple in Mexico

This is the third largest pyramid in Teotihuacan, a pre-Columbian cultural complex located in central Mexico. The temple’s construction dates back to 200 AD, and its six-level step pyramid is made from hundreds of sculpted stone blocks and largely features the earliest-known representations of a Mesoamerican “feathered serpent” deity, often associated with the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl. 
 
The Temple of the Feathered Serpent Temple is filled with many mysteries, the most notable of which is the discovery of more than a hundred sacrificial burials at the site. It is believed that these victims were sacrificed as a dedication of the temple, and the way the bodies were grouped and buried has been the subject of much speculation. In 2011, researchers from the National University of Mexico also found a tunnel network under the temple, some of which lead to sealed funeral chambers believed to contain the remains of the early rulers of Teotihuacan. Then in 2013, a team of archaeologists found hundreds of gold metallic spheres in two of the chambers beneath the pyramid, but the meaning behind them remains unknown to this day. 

#3 — The Shree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in India

Situated in Thiruvananthapuram, India, this Hindu temple is dedicated to Vishnu, the “preserver” among the principal deities of Hinduism. It is considered to be the richest Hindu temple on the face of the earth as its underground vaults have been found to contain gold and jewels amounting to around $22 billion.

Out of several vaults, one special vault referred to as “Vault B” remains unopened and is probably the most mysterious chamber in the Padmanabhaswamy Temple. The entrance to the vault is sealed with an iron door with two large cobra-like structures guarding it. They say that beyond Vault B, there is a hidden inner chamber with walls made of solid gold and is believed to contain undiscovered treasure that could be worth at least $1 trillion. However, many are against opening this vault as doing so without saying the correct mystic chant would purportedly result to the descent of great misfortune upon mankind. 

#4 — The Angkor Wat in Cambodia

Also known as the “Capital Temple,” this temple complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia was built in dedication to the Hindu deity Vishnu by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century before it eventually transformed into a Buddhist temple. This site is regarded as the largest religious monument on the planet, spanning more than 400 acres and is filled with several buildings including a three-level pyramid with nine towers that exceed 60 meters in height. 

The pyramid is said to represent Mount Meru, a mythical mountain in Hindu mythology believed to be the “home of the gods.” Interestingly, myths about the site also say that the temple was strategically built to be in harmony with the universe, with some suggesting that the Angkor Wat served several astronomical purposes. Another fascinating feature of the Angkor Wat is its numerous depictions of apsaras - or female spirits - and devatas - or lesser deities, with more than 1,796 depictions of devatas found in different parts of the temple. 

These details about the temple complex are some of the reasons why some people cannot shake off the belief that the Angkor Wat is a replication or depiction of a distant world where powerful and enlightened beings that once roamed and ruled the Earth come from.

#5 — The Kailasa Temple in India

Also known as the Kailasanatha Temple, this ancient Hindu temple is one of the 32 structures of the famous Ellora Caves in Maharashtra, India. The temple is also one of the biggest ancient architectural monuments in the world that was carved out of a “megalith” or a single, massive rock. Its construction is generally believed to have been commissioned by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I sometime in the 8th century CE although other experts suggest that the Kailasa temple along with the other structures that make up the Ellora Caves are much older. 

What fascinates most people about the Kailasa Temple is the manner in which it was constructed. Referred to as “vertical excavation,” they say that to build this ancient structure, carvers of the time had to start at the top of the megalith and work their way downward, which is no easy feat, especially when you consider the complexity and scale of the structure. Thousands of tons of rock had to be excavated and carved out, so it is a wonder how this was achieved with the primitive tools available at the time such as hammers, picks and chisels. 

Even if we set aside the consideration that our ancestors may have possessed superior technology, or that these sites may have been built in honor of powerful ancient extraterrestrial beings that once visited the Earth and ruled humanity in the distant past, it cannot be denied these ancient temples are, more importantly, testament to the possibility that our ancestors are truly far more capable of doing amazing things than we give them credit for. 

The Kailasa Temple, the Angkor Wat, and many other ancient structures are immortalized demonstrations of what mankind can achieve when people put together their minds, hearts and hands in working towards the accomplishment of a goal or an ideal that is much bigger than themselves.

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SOURCES:
https://www.ancient-code.com/ancient-engineering-wonders-4-of-the-most-mysterious-ancient-temples-ever-built/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konark_Sun_Temple
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_the_Feathered_Serpent,_Teotihuacan#Burials_at_the_pyramid
http://www.ancient-origins.net/news-archaeology/hundreds-mysterious-spheres-discovered-beneath-temple-mexico-00400
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimdobson/2015/11/13/a-one-trillion-dollar-hidden-treasure-chamber-is-discovered-at-indias-sree-padmanabhaswam-temple/#41a51b01ba6a
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padmanabhaswamy_Temple
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_Wat
http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-asia/mysteries-angkor-wat-00310
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kailasa_temple,_Ellora
https://www.ancient-code.com/10-mind-boggling-images-kailasa-temple-prove-ancient-advanced-technology/

Mysterious Ancient Caves that Could Rewrite History

Caves are more than just hollow places in our earthly ground; they play a very indispensable role in the story of mankind. Aside from serving as a shelter for our earliest ancestors, ancient caves also serve as a rich source of many extraordinary artifacts, mysterious undeciphered symbols, and traces of unknown human civilizations in different parts of the world. For some old cultures, several of which still endure to this day, these caves were seen in a mystical and a magical light, while some archaeologists have discovered evidence in these places that raise several compelling and unanswered questions about our distant past.

And so, in this list, let us talk about seven of the most mysterious ancient caves that could re-write history as we know it.

2. Theopetra Cave – Thessaly, Greece

Located at the foot of the Chasia mountain range, which serves as the natural boundary between Thessaly and Macedonia prefectures, the Theopetra Cave is a unique archaeological site that holds many ancient secrets. The site contains one of the longest archaeological sequences in Greece as it contained cultural remains from the Middle and Upper Paleolithic as well as Mesolithic and Neolithic periods, bridging the Pleistocene epoch with the Holocene. Earliest estimation of human inhabitants in the cave dates back to 130,000 years ago, and the site is also the home to the oldest known example of man-made structure – an ancient stone wall that is believed to have been constructed 23,000 years ago as a probable barrier against cold winds. Excavations of the Theopetra Cave started in 1987, and over the years, more and more groundbreaking discoveries have been uncovered by experts in this ancient place.

2. Ciur-Izbuc Cave – Transylvania, Romania

In 1965, Ciur-Izbuc Cave in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania was found to contain around 400 ancient human footprints. At the time of its discovery, researchers were of the opinion that the footprints were made by a man, woman and child who was in the cave approximately 10,000 to 15,000 years ago. However, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology, the ancient human footprints found in the Romanian cave are actually more than 35,000 years old. Radiocarbon testing on the bear bones found buried just beneath some of the footprints revealed that they are tens of thousands of years older than the initial estimate. To scientists, the footprints found in the Ciur-Izbuc Cave are evidence of the earliest known humans in Europe, which was only previously determined through the discovery of animal bones and stone tools.

3. Royston Cave – Hertfordshire, England

The Royston Cave is an artificial cave that was discovered in August 1742. When it was found, the cave was half-filled with dirt and rock, but once the earth was removed, they found several sculptures and carvings, which date as far back as 1200 AD. The images of the artifacts found in the cave are mostly religious in nature, including a depiction of the Holy Family and the Crucifixion. It remains unknown who created the artificial cave or what its purpose was when it was made, but there has been much speculation in answering this mystery. Some believe that the Royston Cave was used by the Knights Templar, while others think it may have been an Augustinian store mine. However, none of these theories have been substantiated yet, leaving the origin of the cave to continue as an enigma even until now.

4. Huashan Caves – Huangshan, China

Manually chiseled more than 1700 years ago, the Huashan caves are steeped in ancient and mysterious legends. Each cave ranges from 10 to 20 meters in height, with their variously-shaped stone columns supporting the ceilings. A total of 36 chambers have been found among the Huashan Hills, and their neatly chiseled walls and roofs, big pillars and stone stairs indicate that these caves were excavated by men. Because there are currently no historical records revealing why our ancestors in China dug the Huashan Caves, a variety of guesses have been presented in an attempt to resolve this mystery. Some believe the caves were dug to produce stone which probably had been used to build a nearby town. Another theory suggests that the caves were once used to station troops. There is also speculation that the caves were used as imperial tombs but were somehow abandoned later on. However, despite these interesting guesses, the true purpose of the Huashan Caves remains a mystery left unanswered by modern man.

5. Ellora Caves – Maharashtra, India

Situated not far from Aurangabad, in the Indian state of Maharashtra, the site is home to 34 monasteries and temples, extending over a distance of more than 2 kilometers. Unlike past examples in history, where the dominant religion of a particular time and place brought down the temples and structures of other groups, replacing them with their own, the Ellora Caves is proof that tolerance, acceptance, and co-existence of different religions are possible. The caves are a unique sanctuary that blends the art and culture of three religions – Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. It is unclear when these caves were built, but estimates range from between 200 B.C. and 600 A.D. to 600 A.D. and 1000 A.D.

6. Piyang Caves – Tibet

The Piyan Caves are among the most important caves of Tibet, situated in the western part of the Tibetan Plateau and close vicinity of the sacred Mount of Kailash. There are over 1,100 caves at the site of different shapes and sizes – some are habitation sites, while other locations are believed to be meditation or ritual caves governed by gods and spirits. Humans inhabited the Tibetan Plateau at least 21,000 years ago, so there are speculations that numerous ancient artifacts and relics are hidden in the caves, tunnels, dark subterranean passages and other mysterious areas at the site, many of which have yet to be localized. The Piyang region covers an area of 10,000 square meters, making it difficult to explore. In the many temples built in the vicinity, there are prehistoric castle walls, murals, sculptures, pagodas and Buddhist niches filled with priceless paintings. However, no one really knows for sure where all the ancient scriptures, historical paper scrolls and prehistoric books believed to be safeguarded in the caves are really hidden.

7. Denisova Cave – Siberia, Russia

Located in the northwestern Altai Mountains some 6 kilometers away from the village of Chernyi Anui, the Denisova Cave is a rock shelter where a series of scientific discoveries on man’s origins have been made in recent years. In 2008, a finger bone fragment of a juvenile female – referred to as the “X woman” – was found at the site. Experts have estimated that the female lived around 41,000 years ago, and analysis has indicated that this creature was genetically distinct from Neanderthals and modern humans. This previously unknown and long extinct hominin species or subspecies has been named Denisovan after the cave where the bone fragment was discovered. In 2010, analysis on an upper molar from a young adult which was found in the cave ten years earlier was also determined to be from a Denisova hominin. The cave is located in a region thought to have also been inhabited concurrently in the past by Neanderthals and modern humans, making the site the one place we know so far where all three human forms have lived at one time or another.

The ancient caves we have mentioned are just a few of many archaeological sites that have the potential to rewrite history as we know it. These ancient sites and their abundant resources of historical and archaeological evidences are still being extensively explored and studied until now, as many believe that these caves still hide an abundance of secrets and discoveries that could fill the missing pieces in the origins of humanity.

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Sources:

http://www.messagetoeagle.com/10-mysterious-ancient-caves-that-could-re-write-history/
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theopetra_cave
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http://www.messagetoeagle.com/unanswered-questions-related-to-the-mysterious-huashan-caves/
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