List of colossal sculptures in situ



A colossal statue is one that is more than twice life-size. This is a list of colossal statues and other sculptures that were created, mostly or all carved, and remain in situ. This list includes two colossal stones that were intended to be moved. However, they were never broken free of the quarry in which they were carved, and therefore they would be considered carved in situ. Most of these were carved in ancient times.

In many cases, especially in India, these sculptures were carved out of softer rocks like sandstone or volcanic tuff. However, in some cases they were carved out of harder rocks like basalt, or even granite in the case of the unfinished obelisk in Egypt. The Egyptians may have been limited to using 10 lb dolerite balls to chip away at the granite. Dynamite was used in the carving of Mount Rushmore's Shrine of Democracy, one of the few colossal sculptures that was carved out of granite.

Egypt

 * Great Sphinx of Giza – limestone
 * Abu Simbel temples – sandstone
 * The unfinished obelisk at Aswan – granite
 * Seti I – limestone

Ethiopia

 * Lalibela – tuff
 * Church of Saint George, Lalibela – tuff

Afghanistan

 * Buddhas of Bamiyan, destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban

Armenia

 * Geghard Monastery

China

 * Fuxi sculpture at Xianshan Mountain, Xiangyang
 * Leshan Giant Buddha
 * Bingling Temple

India

 * Ajanta Caves
 * Badami Cave Temples
 * Barabar Caves
 * Cave temples
 * Elephanta Caves
 * Ellora Caves
 * Gommateshwara statue
 * Gopachal rock-cut Jain monuments
 * Kailashnath Temple, Ellora
 * Kanheri Caves
 * Mahabalipuram
 * Vijayanagara

Iran

 * Behistun
 * Naqsh-e Rostam
 * Taq-e Bostan
 * Colossal Statue of Shapur I, Shapur cave

Jordan

 * Petra

Lebanon

 * The stone of the south

Saudi Arabia

 * Mada'in Saleh

Sri Lanka

 * Avukana Buddha statue
 * Gal Vihara
 * Sigiriya

Turkey

 * Cappadocia
 * Tombs of the kings of Pontus
 * Rock tombs
 * Mount Nemrut

Colombia

 * Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, Cundinamarca

Ecuador

 * El poder brutal, Quito

Peru

 * Chachapoya cliff tombs at Revash
 * Chavín de Huantar's Old Temple

United States

 * Mount Rushmore, South Dakota – granite
 * Crazy Horse Memorial, South Dakota – pegmatite granite (work in progress)
 * Stone Mountain, Georgia – granite

Bulgaria

 * Madara Rider

Czech Republic

 * Čertovy hlavy

Greece

 * Lion of Bavaria, Nafplio

Italy

 * Pantalica, Sicily
 * Santoni, Sicily
 * Sassi di Matera, Basilicata

Poland

 * Wieliczka Salt Mine

Romania

 * Rock sculpture of Decebalus

Switzerland

 * Lion Monument