Stelae

Connected Sites: 40

Definition
Stelae are stones or wooden slabs, generally taller than wide, erected for funerals or commemorative purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased or living - inscribed, carved in relief, or painted onto the slab. Only sites with their stelae still in situ are included.

Map

Connected Sites

  • Quirigua
    Quirigua
    Guatemala
    Inscribed: 1981
    3.22
    64
    7
    The Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua contain some outstanding 8th-century monuments and an impressive series of carved stelae and sculpted calendars that constitute an essential source for the study of Mayan civilization. (OUV)
  • Monastery of Geghard
    Inscribed: 2000
    3.39
    155
    4
    Khachkars
  • Echmiatsin and Zvartnots
    Inscribed: 2000
    3.04
    146
    6
    Khachkars
  • My Son
    My Son
    Viet Nam
    Inscribed: 1999
    3.03
    184
    7
    Scholars have found approximately 32 steles at Mỹ S?n, dated between the 5th and the 12th century A.D
  • Biblical Tells
    Inscribed: 2005
    3.03
    101
    10
    Tel Hazor features many stelae now on display at the site museum.
  • Tiwanaku
    Tiwanaku
    Bolivia
    Inscribed: 2000
    3.09
    92
    7
    several
  • Rock Drawings in Valcamonica
    Inscribed: 1979
    3.12
    108
    7
    Stelae at Naquane National Archaelogical Park
  • Xanthos-Letoon
    Inscribed: 1988
    2.68
    83
    7
    Xanthian Obelisk, an important archaeological find pertaining to the Lycian language.
    See en.wikipedia.org
  • Quanzhou
    Inscribed: 2021
    3.40
    60
    4
    "Tun Hai" stele at Zhenwu Temple + "Seven inscribed steles from different dynastic eras" in the Islamic Tombs. One of those "records that renowned Ming-dynasty navigator Zheng He stopped here for an incense offering ritual during his fifth voyage to the Western Oceans." (Nomination file, p. 119, 176)
  • Funerary and memory sites of the First World War
    Inscribed: 2023
    2.93
    230
    11
    For example, BR01 Ensemble of stelae and ancient French and German tombs of le Petit Donon
  • Al-Faw
    Al-Faw
    Saudi Arabia
    Inscribed: 2024
    1.29
    4
    3
    "Outside the urban and religious areas, there is a funerary ring. The burial materials and tomb stela provide valuable information on the origins of the residents of the ancient city, the language they used, the deities they worshipped, and their funerary rituals." (AB Ev)
  • Aksum
    Aksum
    Ethiopia
    Inscribed: 1980
    3.22
    54
    6
    The Stelae have most of their mass out of the ground, but are stabilized by massive underground counter-weights. The stone was often engraved with a pattern or emblem denoting the king's or the noble's rank.
  • Mount Kumgang
    Mount Kumgang
    Korea (DPR)
    Inscribed: 2025
    3.48
    8
    1
    "The stele and stupa of Sosan, a key figure in the history of Korean Buddhism from the 17th century is also found within the nominated property." - AB Evaluation
  • Megaliths of Carnac
    Inscribed: 2025
    3.41
    74
    5
    "A variety of monumental stone structures, such as menhirs, standing stone (or stelae) alignments, stone circles, cairns, and tombs of different types covered by tumuli or simple mounds, were constructed in specific locations, in relation to the topographical features and the spatial and visual interconnections between the megaliths themselves." - "Revived partly in the Iron Age, megalithism of that period features specifically Gallic stelae." (AB Ev)
  • Xochicalco
    Inscribed: 1999
    3.31
    90
    8
    Plaza of the Stele of the Two Glyphs
  • West Lake
    Inscribed: 2011
    3.30
    141
    6
    stele of the tomb of Lin Bu, a hermit in the Song Dynasty
  • Tiya
    Tiya
    Ethiopia
    Inscribed: 1980
    2.19
    42
    4
    Has 36 standing stones or stelae, "32 of which are engraved with enigmatic symbols, notably swords,"
  • Tikal National Park
    Inscribed: 1979
    4.46
    170
    6
  • Temple, Mansion and Cemetery of Confucius
    Inscribed: 1994
    3.28
    76
    7
    The Cemetery contains more than 100,000 tombs of the descendants of Confucius, bearing stelae, stone figures, celestial pillars, and other funerary furniture. There are over sixty structures (gates, sacrifice halls, and stele pavilions) for ceremonial and sacrificial use." - AB Document
  • Site of Xanadu
    Inscribed: 2012
    2.13
    19
    3
    marble stele were found (AB ev)
  • Seowon, Neo-Confucian Academies
    Inscribed: 2019
    2.61
    76
    8
    "Commemorative steles informing on venerated scholars, the year of building establishment, repair works, and major events of at the seowon are erected inside and outside of the academy." - Nomination File
  • Sansa, Buddhist Mountain Monasteries
    Inscribed: 2018
    2.99
    75
    4
    "Daeheungsa Temple retains traces of the activities of many high priests who led Korean Buddhist in the 17th and 18th centuries. These monks were known as the 12 doctrinal masters and 12 instructors who were the most learned in meditative and doctrinal Buddhism. To honor their memory, Daeheungsa Temple maintains a stupa garden with 47 stupas and steles, including those of Great Master Seosan, which attest to the historicity of the temple." - Nomination File
  • Royal Joseon Tombs
    Royal Joseon Tombs
    Republic of Korea
    Inscribed: 2009
    2.67
    142
    9
    All Joseon Dynasty Tombs contain this type of stelae. - Bigak, a building which has a stone monument where the names of the king and the queen are written at the front, while at the back was written the list of the king's accomplishments.
  • Orkhon Valley
    Inscribed: 2004
    2.52
    53
    6
    Stelae with runic inscriptions at Turkic memorials of Kh?sh?? Tsaidam
  • Oaxaca and Monte Alban
    Inscribed: 1987
    3.72
    136
    7
    Monte Alban: stelae that show glyphic Zapotec writing; Danzantes
  • Namhansanseong
    Namhansanseong
    Republic of Korea
    Inscribed: 2014
    2.59
    104
    6
    "Lastly, the property includes a series of epigraphic steles, mainly commemorating the construction of the rampart, or related to human and social virtues, or linked to initiatives for the reconstruction or preservation of the property." AB Evaluation
  • Mount Wutai
    Inscribed: 2009
    3.56
    45
    4
    For a thousand years from the Northern Wei period (471-499) nine Emperors made 18 pilgrimages to pay tribute to the bodhisattvas, commemorated in stele and inscriptions (unesco website)
  • Mount Taishan
    Inscribed: 1987
    3.61
    71
    7
    Dai Miao The site contains a number of well-preserved steles from the Huizong reign, some of which are mounted on bixi tortoises. There is a much later, Qianlong-era bixi-mounted stele as well.
  • Konso
    Konso
    Ethiopia
    Inscribed: 2011
    2.90
    34
    3
    monolithic stone stele reflecting the success of warriors (AB ev)
  • Koguryo Kingdom
    Inscribed: 2004
    2.94
    27
    3
    The stele of King Gwanggaeto of Goguryeo was erected in 414 by King Jangsu as a memorial to his deceased father. It is carved out of a single mass of granite, stands nearly 7 meters tall and has a girth of almost 4 meters. The inscription is written exclusively in Classical Chinese and has 1802 characters.
  • Kaesong
    Kaesong
    Korea (DPR)
    Inscribed: 2013
    2.37
    37
    2
    commemorative steles
  • Jelling
    Jelling
    Denmark
    Inscribed: 1994
    2.38
    193
    10
    Runestones
  • Imperial Tombs
    Inscribed: 2000
    3.24
    220
    10
    Every tombs of Ming and Qing Emperors have stelae with tomb owner's record of good things
  • Haghpat and Sanahin
    Inscribed: 1996
    3.49
    132
    4
    Khachkars
  • Gyeongju
    Gyeongju
    Republic of Korea
    Inscribed: 2000
    3.31
    148
    14
    Gyerim Woods Stele memorializing the founding myth of Silla. "This legend is inscribed on a memorial stele erected in 1803, the 3rd year of King Sunjo of Chosun dynasty." - Nomination File
  • Gusuku of Ryukyu
    Inscribed: 2000
    2.83
    69
    10
    Shuri Castle: On both sides of the stone steps leading to the Zuisemmon seven stelae featuring investiture envoys' handwritings (nom file)
  • Gedeo Cultural landscape
    Inscribed: 2023
    2.06
    11
    2
    "Within the property are many clusters of megalithic steles mainly on high ridges, which, until the mid-1930s, were associated with rituals and annual sacrificial ceremonies." (AB ev)
  • Deer Stone Monuments
    Inscribed: 2023
    2.73
    9
    2
    "Deer stones are gigantic steles, ranging in height up to four metres with engravings of stylised stag images" (AB ev)
  • Copán
    Copán
    Honduras
    Inscribed: 1980
    3.87
    108
    7
  • Calakmul
    Calakmul
    Mexico
    Inscribed: 2002
    3.94
    79
    6
    Calakmul is especially noteworthy for the large number (120 to date) of stelae that have been found on the site. Several of those are still in situ, others at museums.