Amazing ancient dwellings carved in stone (14 photos)

My home is my castle. This is exactly how many of us think about our own home. Home is a place where a person feels safe. At the same time, this security is cozy and very comfortable for the resident.





You want to return to a cozy home, but if you built it with your own hands, you don’t even really want to leave it for a short time. After all, such a home has literally everything for a comfortable existence; after all, it was made for oneself and for oneself. Today, building a house is not at all difficult if you have the financial means. And in ancient times, you could simply find a large stone, take a hammer and chisel and carve out a cozy apartment in it. And it should be noted that the people of that time did it quite well. Let's look at some examples.

Cave settlements of Cappadocia. Türkiye









Such bizarre stone silhouettes were formed millions of years ago from volcanic rock. This breed is quite soft and easy to process. When exposed to air, tuff hardens. Some shelters appeared here a very long time ago, even during the existence of the kingdom of the Hittites, and this is no less than 3.5 thousand years ago. Stone dwellings are still in use. People install communications, install modern windows and doors, and live in the comfort and coolness of stone shelters.

House of a hermit monk from Romania



Another amazing stone house, created by a hermit monk, is located in Suceava County in Romania. The monk's name was Daniel the Hesychast. He was born at the very beginning of the 18th century. Already at the age of 16, he decided to devote his life to faith and become a monk. To do this, he went to the monastery of St. Nicholas, where after some time he became a priest. There he gained fame as an experienced confessor and mentor. For some time he stayed in the monastery of St. Lawrence. There were literally lines of believers lining up to see him, trying to get spiritual advice and answers to troubling questions. But Daniel the Hesychast increasingly sought solitude to communicate with God, so he soon became a hermit. He found a remote and secluded place where he carved a house for himself in stone. And for this I used exclusively a chisel and a hammer. According to some sources, he lived in prayer in his stone house for about 20 years.

Stone village of Kandovan. Iran







From a distance the village looks very much like a termite mound. Here the dwellings are carved right into the stone and people still live here and feel great. According to local residents, the village is more than 700 years old. Apparently it was built as a shelter from nomads. Today it has about 1000 inhabitants. Stone dwellings contain light and other benefits of civilization. People live off agriculture and also raise livestock. And recently due to tourism. There is even a stone hotel designed to accommodate tourists.

Troglodyte village of Rochemenier. France







Well, first of all, let’s figure out who the Troglodytes are. I think many have heard this word, but few know what it means. Troglodytes are essentially ancient cave dwellers, cave dwellers, cavemen. There is a place in France where there are picturesque stone dwellings, because of this it received the name Troglodyte village. The village is located in the famous Loire Valley. The village premises are carved out of soft tuff. It is interesting that the first inhabitants, according to some sources, appeared here in the 11th century, and the last moved out only in 1984 of the last century. There is also a unique 13th century chapel carved into the rock. At first glance, it seems that the rooms are uncomfortable and cramped, but when you see the restored rooms, which are part of the museum open here, you will change your mind. They look very cozy.

Stone houses of the Portuguese city of Monsanto







In this amazing city, houses are not carved into stone; here people built their homes on huge boulders and rocks. As a result, such an unusual town has grown up, where man-made buildings harmoniously fit into the natural landscape. The settlement has existed for hundreds of years almost unchanged. The place is very picturesque and unusual.

Stone houses create a feeling of security due to their strong walls. Perhaps the same sense of security was experienced by ancient people who chose caves located in the rocks to live. The article shows only a small part of the amazing buildings. There are actually a great many houses made of stone and entire stone cities of antiquity, and it is possible that many have yet to be discovered by archaeologists.