The Buddhist Monastery that Rises 2,500ft from a Gigantic Lava Plug

Photo: exfordy

Rising majestically out of the plains of central Burma, 2,417 feet up in the air atop an ancient, sheer-sided volcanic plug, the Buddhist monastery of Popa Taungkalat surveys the surrounding scene. An amazing example of a human construction merged organically with its natural setting, Taung Kalat also draws thousands of pilgrims each year because of its great spiritual significance. LINK

15 Amazing Monasteries, Sanctuaries and Abbies

"Meteora and The Stone Forest"
(images via: Greek Landscapes and WebUrbanist: Cliff & Mountain Houses)

Meteora means “suspended in air” in Greek, and that’s an apt description for these centuries-old monasteries. Perched atop 1200-ft tall crags of Thessaly’s “Stone Forest”, as many as 24 separate monasteries thrived during the area’s heyday in the 14th century. Today only a half-dozen are still active. Today tourists - not rampaging Ottoman warriors - are the main visitors to this stunning setting in northern Greece. LINK