The Externsteine is a distinctive sandstone rock formation located in the Teutoburg Forest, near the town of Horn-Bad Meinberg in the Lippe district of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The formation is a tor consisting of several tall, narrow columns of rock which rise abruptly from the surrounding wooded hills.
In a popular tradition going back to an idea proposed to Hermann Hamelmann in 1564, the Externsteine are identified as a sacred site of the pagan Saxons, and the location of the Irminsul idol reportedly destroyed by Charlemagne; there is however no archaeological evidence that would confirm the site's use during the relevant period.
The stones were used as the site of a hermitage in the Middle Ages, and by at least the high medieval period were the site of a Christian chapel. The Externsteine relief is a medieval depiction of the Descent from the Cross. It remains controversial whether the site was already used for Christian worship in the 8th to early 10th centuries.
In a popular tradition going back to an idea proposed to Hermann Hamelmann in 1564, the Externsteine are identified as a sacred site of the pagan Saxons, and the location of the Irminsul idol reportedly destroyed by Charlemagne; there is however no archaeological evidence that would confirm the site's use during the relevant period.
The stones were used as the site of a hermitage in the Middle Ages, and by at least the high medieval period were the site of a Christian chapel. The Externsteine relief is a medieval depiction of the Descent from the Cross. It remains controversial whether the site was already used for Christian worship in the 8th to early 10th centuries.
Tatev Monastery, Armenia, 8th century
This impressive monastery in Armenia has been around for a thousand years, and it still catches the attention of architecture lovers from all around the world. Not only has it endured an epic history that's just as dramatic as its hilltop setting, but it has survived destructive earthquakes as well.
This ancient, yet legendary monastery, would often get ransacked but even that massive earthquake, which shook things up a few centuries later, failed to bring it down. Legend has it that the curious name of the monastery, nestled amid clifftops, was given by the mighty Father - "Tatev" means "little star."
This impressive monastery in Armenia has been around for a thousand years, and it still catches the attention of architecture lovers from all around the world. Not only has it endured an epic history that's just as dramatic as its hilltop setting, but it has survived destructive earthquakes as well.
This ancient, yet legendary monastery, would often get ransacked but even that massive earthquake, which shook things up a few centuries later, failed to bring it down. Legend has it that the curious name of the monastery, nestled amid clifftops, was given by the mighty Father - "Tatev" means "little star."