"ancient structures"

#13304679

11 February 2026

Professor Robin Coningham, UNESCO Chair on Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage at Durham University and co-director of the excavations, briefs about the findings during a press conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 11, 2026. A collaborative team of national and international experts from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Nepal, Lumbini Development Trust, and Durham University's UNESCO Chair uncovers Nepal's first example of an apsidal Buddhist temple within the ancient city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, one of the best-preserved Early Historic cities and hinterlands in South Asia. A clear category of temple in South Asia, they are called apsidal as they have a curved end wall that defines the religious focus of the monument, with an entrance platform at the other end. The earliest known examples are cut into rock, with later monuments constructed out of stone, timber, or brick. The monument revealed at Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, the first discovered in Nepal, follows this exact layout but is unusual in its location. It is a rare example of an apsidal temple constructed within a city rather than in a separate religious complex. The newly discovered apsidal structure is built near the center of the city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu over the remains of the city's earlier palatial complex. This central walled complex defines an area of 100 by 100 meters through a massive brick wall measuring 1.5 meters wide. After its abandonment, the complex becomes a focus for veneration, with Buddhist monasteries built over its ruined monumental walls. It is within the courtyard of one of these monasteries that the apsidal temple is built, enshrining and respecting an earlier Buddhist stupa within the earlier monastery.

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#13304680

11 February 2026

Professor Robin Coningham, UNESCO Chair on Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage at Durham University and co-director of the excavations, briefs about the findings during a press conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 11, 2026. A collaborative team of national and international experts from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Nepal, Lumbini Development Trust, and Durham University's UNESCO Chair uncovers Nepal's first example of an apsidal Buddhist temple within the ancient city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, one of the best-preserved Early Historic cities and hinterlands in South Asia. A clear category of temple in South Asia, they are called apsidal as they have a curved end wall that defines the religious focus of the monument, with an entrance platform at the other end. The earliest known examples are cut into rock, with later monuments constructed out of stone, timber, or brick. The monument revealed at Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, the first discovered in Nepal, follows this exact layout but is unusual in its location. It is a rare example of an apsidal temple constructed within a city rather than in a separate religious complex. The newly discovered apsidal structure is built near the center of the city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu over the remains of the city's earlier palatial complex. This central walled complex defines an area of 100 by 100 meters through a massive brick wall measuring 1.5 meters wide. After its abandonment, the complex becomes a focus for veneration, with Buddhist monasteries built over its ruined monumental walls. It is within the courtyard of one of these monasteries that the apsidal temple is built, enshrining and respecting an earlier Buddhist stupa within the earlier monastery.

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#13304681

11 February 2026

Professor Robin Coningham, UNESCO Chair on Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage at Durham University and co-director of the excavations, briefs about the findings during a press conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, on February 11, 2026. A collaborative team of national and international experts from the Department of Archaeology, Government of Nepal, Lumbini Development Trust, and Durham University's UNESCO Chair uncovers Nepal's first example of an apsidal Buddhist temple within the ancient city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, one of the best-preserved Early Historic cities and hinterlands in South Asia. A clear category of temple in South Asia, they are called apsidal as they have a curved end wall that defines the religious focus of the monument, with an entrance platform at the other end. The earliest known examples are cut into rock, with later monuments constructed out of stone, timber, or brick. The monument revealed at Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu, the first discovered in Nepal, follows this exact layout but is unusual in its location. It is a rare example of an apsidal temple constructed within a city rather than in a separate religious complex. The newly discovered apsidal structure is built near the center of the city of Tilaurakot-Kapilavastu over the remains of the city's earlier palatial complex. This central walled complex defines an area of 100 by 100 meters through a massive brick wall measuring 1.5 meters wide. After its abandonment, the complex becomes a focus for veneration, with Buddhist monasteries built over its ruined monumental walls. It is within the courtyard of one of these monasteries that the apsidal temple is built, enshrining and respecting an earlier Buddhist stupa within the earlier monastery.

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#13276693

5 February 2026

San Giorgio dei Greci Church bell tower is seen in Venice, Italy, on February 2nd, 2026.

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#13276692

5 February 2026

Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute church is seen at sunrise in Venice, Italy, on February 2nd, 2025.

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#13252988

29 January 2026

The Parthenon is seen during a rain storm in Athens, Greece on 21 January, 2026.

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#13252989

29 January 2026

The Parthenon is seen during a rain storm in Athens, Greece on 21 January, 2026.

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#13252990

29 January 2026

The Parthenon is seen during a rain storm in Athens, Greece on 21 January, 2026.

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#13252991

29 January 2026

The Parthenon is seen during a rain storm in Athens, Greece on 21 January, 2026.

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#13252992

29 January 2026

The Parthenon is seen during a rain storm in Athens, Greece on 21 January, 2026.

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#13220462

20 January 2026

Deulghata, or ''Land of Temples,'' is located on the banks of the Kangsabati River in Purulia, West Bengal. It features ancient temples dating back to the 9th-11th centuries during the Sen and Pal Empires era. Originally a complex of more than 15 Jain temples, now mostly in ruins, the site showcases towering 60-foot brick Rekha-Deul structures decorated with intricate stucco carvings. The structures are of the Rekha-Deul style--a tall, mountain-peak shaped tower--with one standing at roughly 45 feet and another about 30 feet. They are built of thin, ancient bricks. Originally dedicated to Jain Tirthankaras, the temples now contain Shiva Lingas and are linked to Shaivite and Shakta traditions. Despite erosion, the terracotta work showcases ancient Bengal architecture and cultural history. The renovation of the temple is currently underway due to concerns about the risk of the old brick wall collapsing. Local tribal women worship at the temple, and after the worship, food is arranged free of charge for all visitors in Baram, Tunta, Purulia, West Bengal, India, on January 12, 2026.

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#13220463

20 January 2026

Deulghata, or ''Land of Temples,'' is located on the banks of the Kangsabati River in Purulia, West Bengal. It features ancient temples dating back to the 9th-11th centuries during the Sen and Pal Empires era. Originally a complex of more than 15 Jain temples, now mostly in ruins, the site showcases towering 60-foot brick Rekha-Deul structures decorated with intricate stucco carvings. The structures are of the Rekha-Deul style--a tall, mountain-peak shaped tower--with one standing at roughly 45 feet and another about 30 feet. They are built of thin, ancient bricks. Originally dedicated to Jain Tirthankaras, the temples now contain Shiva Lingas and are linked to Shaivite and Shakta traditions. Despite erosion, the terracotta work showcases ancient Bengal architecture and cultural history. The renovation of the temple is currently underway due to concerns about the risk of the old brick wall collapsing. Local tribal women worship at the temple, and after the worship, food is arranged free of charge for all visitors in Baram, Tunta, Purulia, West Bengal, India, on January 12, 2026.

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#13220464

20 January 2026

Deulghata, or ''Land of Temples,'' is located on the banks of the Kangsabati River in Purulia, West Bengal. It features ancient temples dating back to the 9th-11th centuries during the Sen and Pal Empires era. Originally a complex of more than 15 Jain temples, now mostly in ruins, the site showcases towering 60-foot brick Rekha-Deul structures decorated with intricate stucco carvings. The structures are of the Rekha-Deul style--a tall, mountain-peak shaped tower--with one standing at roughly 45 feet and another about 30 feet. They are built of thin, ancient bricks. Originally dedicated to Jain Tirthankaras, the temples now contain Shiva Lingas and are linked to Shaivite and Shakta traditions. Despite erosion, the terracotta work showcases ancient Bengal architecture and cultural history. The renovation of the temple is currently underway due to concerns about the risk of the old brick wall collapsing. Local tribal women worship at the temple, and after the worship, food is arranged free of charge for all visitors in Baram, Tunta, Purulia, West Bengal, India, on January 12, 2026.

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#13220465

20 January 2026

Deulghata, or ''Land of Temples,'' is located on the banks of the Kangsabati River in Purulia, West Bengal. It features ancient temples dating back to the 9th-11th centuries during the Sen and Pal Empires era. Originally a complex of more than 15 Jain temples, now mostly in ruins, the site showcases towering 60-foot brick Rekha-Deul structures decorated with intricate stucco carvings. The structures are of the Rekha-Deul style--a tall, mountain-peak shaped tower--with one standing at roughly 45 feet and another about 30 feet. They are built of thin, ancient bricks. Originally dedicated to Jain Tirthankaras, the temples now contain Shiva Lingas and are linked to Shaivite and Shakta traditions. Despite erosion, the terracotta work showcases ancient Bengal architecture and cultural history. The renovation of the temple is currently underway due to concerns about the risk of the old brick wall collapsing. Local tribal women worship at the temple, and after the worship, food is arranged free of charge for all visitors in Baram, Tunta, Purulia, West Bengal, India, on January 12, 2026.

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#13220466

20 January 2026

Deulghata, or ''Land of Temples,'' is located on the banks of the Kangsabati River in Purulia, West Bengal. It features ancient temples dating back to the 9th-11th centuries during the Sen and Pal Empires era. Originally a complex of more than 15 Jain temples, now mostly in ruins, the site showcases towering 60-foot brick Rekha-Deul structures decorated with intricate stucco carvings. The structures are of the Rekha-Deul style--a tall, mountain-peak shaped tower--with one standing at roughly 45 feet and another about 30 feet. They are built of thin, ancient bricks. Originally dedicated to Jain Tirthankaras, the temples now contain Shiva Lingas and are linked to Shaivite and Shakta traditions. Despite erosion, the terracotta work showcases ancient Bengal architecture and cultural history. The renovation of the temple is currently underway due to concerns about the risk of the old brick wall collapsing. Local tribal women worship at the temple, and after the worship, food is arranged free of charge for all visitors in Baram, Tunta, Purulia, West Bengal, India, on January 12, 2026.

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#13220467

20 January 2026

Deulghata, or ''Land of Temples,'' is located on the banks of the Kangsabati River in Purulia, West Bengal. It features ancient temples dating back to the 9th-11th centuries during the Sen and Pal Empires era. Originally a complex of more than 15 Jain temples, now mostly in ruins, the site showcases towering 60-foot brick Rekha-Deul structures decorated with intricate stucco carvings. The structures are of the Rekha-Deul style--a tall, mountain-peak shaped tower--with one standing at roughly 45 feet and another about 30 feet. They are built of thin, ancient bricks. Originally dedicated to Jain Tirthankaras, the temples now contain Shiva Lingas and are linked to Shaivite and Shakta traditions. Despite erosion, the terracotta work showcases ancient Bengal architecture and cultural history. The renovation of the temple is currently underway due to concerns about the risk of the old brick wall collapsing. Local tribal women worship at the temple, and after the worship, food is arranged free of charge for all visitors in Baram, Tunta, Purulia, West Bengal, India, on January 12, 2026.

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