Ancient Secrets Hidden In The Sky 5 Mysterious And Impossible To Reach Ancient Places

Katsky Pillar From the forested Imereti region of Georgia protrudes an immense limestone monolith of deeply mysterious origins known as the Katsky Pillar. Considered a symbol of the True Cross, the location is officially a Georgian Orthodox church. Although mentioned in 18th-century Georgian literature, the pillar was not studied by Westerners until the 1940s, when mountaineer Alexander Geparidze and writer Levon Gotwa made the first documented ascent. Before reaching even the foot of the pillar, a substantial hike must be made, and in its early years only the bravest monks could climb the sheer face to the structure atop, enabling them to be closer to God. The pillar, which is around 131 feet high and offers astounding perspectives over the is home to a ruined church with an area of approximately 500 square feet. Modern studies of these remains determine them to be of 9th or 10th century origin and contain inscriptions from the 13th century. The church complex consists of a series of rooms. In addition to the church itself is a crypt, three cells for accommodation, and a wine cellar. Archaeological digs of the latter have produced several large drink vessels known as kvevri. Early mentions of the pillar and the church state that, quote, "...there's a rock within the ravine standing like a pillar, considerably high. There's a small church on the top of the rock, but nobody is able to ascend it, nor know they how to do that." Although it sat abandoned for centuries, religious activity at the Ketsky Pillar was revived in the 1990s, and a state-funded restoration project has since made the structure safe and accessible. A monk of the Georgian Orthodox Church named Maksima Kavtaradze lived on top of the pillar for more than 20 years, coming down just twice a week, and made substantial contributions to the restorations. However, while male visitors were once welcomed and could access the structure via an iron ladder, it has since been closed to the public. It is now scaled only by monks who live in the monastery at the foot of the pillar and climb the rock to pray. To this day, virtually nothing is known about the original builders of the church atop the Ketsky Pillar or how this incredible feat of construction was ever accomplished. Skellig Michael In harsh seas, nine miles from the coast of Ireland's County Kerry is a pair of jagged mountains which jut dramatically from the Atlantic Ocean. The larger of the two is known as Skellig Michael and features a seldom-seen monastery believed to be 1,400 years old. As one approaches Skellig Michael, it appears at first to be untouched, to never have been inhabited. However, closer examination and explorations reveal a series of winding paths that ascend the perilously steep slopes to the top. Cradled amongst the peaks of Skellig Michael is a series of tightly layered stone buildings believed to have been built in the 7th century and to have housed monks for more than 600 years. The structures, which sit at an altitude of 750 feet, are exceptionally well-preserved considering the harshness of their surroundings and even feature a traditional graveyard where the bodies of its Gaelic inhabitants rest. In addition to the central beehive-like structures, known as cloacans, there are a number of terraces, two oratories, and yet more graves, as well as a church with walls measuring two meters thick. The process of building the structures must have been immensely laborious and it's likely that some of the many graves which scatter Skellig Michael may house those who gave their lives to build it. Archaeologists are confident that the monastery was used for a period spanning several centuries, but nobody is sure why it was ultimately abandoned. Today, very few trips are made to the island. This decision was made to preserve the ruins, and just 13 tour guides possess licenses, each of whom is permitted to make one journey to Skellig Michael each year. Abuniyamataka The Tigray region of northern Ethiopia is sparsely populated, consisting of vast, arid plains and dramatic, pale sandstone mountains. Hewn into these ancient rocks are the last traces of ancient civilizations. Abuniyamataka is one such monolithic structure, an Ethiopian Orthodox church carved out of a sheer rock face in the 6th century as a dedication to Abuniyamata, one of the Nine Saints. The most remarkable thing about Abuniyamataka is the fact that it is situated at a height of 8,460 feet and is accessible only by making a perilous ascent on foot, preferably barefoot. The incredible altitude of the structure is said to bring churchgoers closer to heaven. To reach the entrance to the church, pilgrims and visitors must first climb a steep and hazardous route using centuries-old hand and foot holds in the rock. Those who have made the climb are then faced with a vertigo-inducing natural stone bridge with a sheer 820-foot drop on either side. The next obstacle that determined visitors meet is a narrow, rickety wooden footbridge with another fatal fall beneath. Yet another exhausting ascent leads to a climb up a vertical rock wall, which offers no opportunity for support or assistance. Those who make it this far are advised not to look down, as they cross a ledge just inches wide, hugging the cliff with a sheer 1,000-foot drop and certain death to one side. Upon reaching the entrance, visitors are thrown into darkness. Only once their eyes adjust can they appreciate the internal beauty of Abune Yamataga. As well as its architecture, Abune Yamataga contains a number of paintings on the walls and domed ceiling of the church. These frescoes are remarkably well-preserved due to the lack of humidity and their remoteness, which has dissuaded looters for centuries. These paintings, believed to date back to the dawn of Christianity, depict Old Testament Biblical characters and are themed on the Nine Saints, a group of missionaries who were credited with delivering Christianity to Ethiopia in the late 5th century and are believed to have originated in Rome. Archaeologists have determined the paintings to be some of the very first pictorial representations of the Bible. The church's interiors feature several chambers, some of which house human remains, the bones of those carried up for cremations and rituals. The region is also home to other cliff churches, believed to have been built in the following centuries. Many of these structures are still attended and cared for by Ethiopian Orthodox monks. The monks once traded Bible readings for drinking water with the locals so they could descend as little as possible and spend their lives as close to heaven as possible. Some have not left the mountaintop for 40 years. Sigiriya The range of near-unreachable ancient locations that can be found around the world contains not only buildings constructed for religious purposes, but also an entire city. Sigiriya is a megalithic city fortress built atop a granite column that rises from the scenery of the central province of Sri Lanka. At a height of around 600 feet, the area is believed to have been inhabited since the prehistoric age. An ancient Sri Lankan chronicle states that the area was once a large pristine forest until a series of storms and landslides caused the column to rise up out of the ground. King Kashyapa then selected it in the late 5th century as the ideal place to build his new capital city. The sides of the column were painted with colorful imagery to celebrate his kingdom, and a palace was erected on top. The new capital even featured a brick wall covered with such highly polished plaster that the king could use it as a mirror. This wall has since been covered with writings and poetic verse by visitors, some dating back to the 8th century. The king also had a vast complex of intricate water gardens created, connected by causeways and featuring deep pools and drinking reservoirs. These water gardens have been said to demonstrate its builders' extraordinarily advanced engineering capabilities far ahead of their time. Around halfway up the steep walls is a natural plateau, which the king had formed into a fierce lion-shaped gateway. This structure gives Sigiriya its name, which translates to the Lion Rock. Following King Kashyapa's death, the city was abandoned, becoming a Buddhist monastery until the 14th century. Today, the palace is ruined, but much of the artwork created at the time has been well preserved. Due to its rich history, Sigiriya has been deemed a location of great archaeological significance and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Barotaksang In Bhutan, South Asia, Buddhist monks have been making pilgrimages to Barotaksang for centuries. Known as the Tiger's Nest, this site was once little more than a cave used by religious pilgrims. But 17th century additions built it into a full-scale mountainous monastery nestled among the clouds. The valley floor sits at an altitude of 7,000 feet, already making it difficult to reach from the nearest town, Baro, six miles away. What awaits determined visitors is a steep hike climbing another 3,000 feet. Those who do not succumb to altitude sickness or the sheer and perilous drops are rewarded with majestic views of a 330-foot waterfall, and finally, the Barotaksang. The monastery perches precariously on a mountainside accessible to the most dedicated followers of Guru Padmasambhaya, a tantric Buddhist of legendary status who is said to have been born from a lotus. While legends claim that Padmasambhaya arrived at the cave on a flying tiger who had previously been his romantic muse, thereby giving the Tiger's Nest its name, there's archaeological evidence to support the idea that the location has been used for meditation since as early as the 8th century. It was here, while meditating for three years, three months, three days, and three hours, that Padmasambhaya is said to have begun the process of converting Bhutanese culture to Buddhism. For this reason, Barotaksang is still considered one of the world's holiest sites. Another legend states that when Padmasambhaya eventually returned to Tibet to share his teachings, he met a disciple named Pelki. Pelki returned in the year 853 AD to Barotaksang to meditate in a cave that he called Pelki's Cave. Pelki later died in Nepal, but it's said that his body miraculously vanished and reappeared in his cave at Barotaksang, where it remains sealed in a shrine above the monastery's entrance.