Ancient Religious Murals

Frescos from various temples showcasing intricate religious narratives, depicting deities, scenes from scriptures, and elaborate artistic styles.

Bodhisattva embracing his two consorts, Bagan Pagan, Myanmar Burma, Asia

Murals fresco paintings in Virupaksha temple celing in Hampi, Karnataka, South India, India, Asia. UNESCO World Heritage Site, Asia

The Annunciation (Fresco in Santa Maria Antiqua) by Byzantine Master / Santa Maria Antiqua, Rome / 565-578 / Byzantium / Fresco / Bible /

Silk scroll of The Holyland Mandala. Heian Period. 11th c.

Seventeenth century murals on wall in Varadaraja Perumal or Vishnu temple in Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, India, Asia

bodhisatva padampani, Ajanta Caves, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India, Asia Copyright: xAnilxDave/DinodiaxPhotox

Bodhisattva embracing his two consorts, Bagan Pagan, Myanmar Burma, Asia

Ajanta Caves Maharashtra India Copyright: xRajeshxVora/DinodiaxPhotox

Seventeenth century mural in Narambunathaswamy temple wall at Thiruppudaimarudur temple near Tirunelveli Tamil Nadu India Copyright: xMxAmirtham/DinodiaxPhotox

Ancient Buddha image in Dambulla Rock Temple caves, Sri Lanka

Burma/Myanmar: Buddha fresco at the Khay Min Gha Temple (12th century), Bagan (Pagan) Ancient City (2015)

Burma / Myanmar: Stencil ornamentation on a wall in the 18th century Buddhist temple of Wat Ban Ngaek temple, Kyaing Tong (Kengtung), Shan State. Wat Ban Ngaek is a remote forest temple situated in a Tai Loi (Mountain Thai) or Lua inhabited border region of easternmost Burma. The temple, which is located near to an ancient trade route between Sipsongpanna or Xishuangbanna in China and Kengtung in Shan State, is thought to be about 300 years old and to have been built on the orders of the Thai Khoen rulers of Kengtung (or perhaps the lords of Chiang Saen in Thailand, then under Burmese rule) to serve the needs of travellers on the old trade route.

Old buddhist fresco Buddhist fresco at the wall of tibetan monastery Copyright: xZoonar.com/NatalliaxYaumenenkax 4752454

Complex wall painting of a Buddha surrounded by fascinating works of art, The cave temple of Dambulla in Sri Lanka

Amazing view of religious carving on limestone rock in sacred Golden Temple. Dambulla, Sri Lanka travel destinations

Colourful mythological paintings and mirror work on the ceiling of a small Shani Mandir, located in Ramgarh, Shekhawati, Rajasthan, India Colourful mythological paintings and mirror work on the ceiling of a small Shani Mandir, located in Ramgarh, Shekhawati, Rajasthan, India Copyright: xZoonar.com/RealityImagesx 21843713

Interior of the Garphu monastery, Garphu, Kingdom of Mustang, Nepal, Asia

15th Century GUGE STYLE GANESH & BUDDHA paintings in DUKHANG ASSEMBLY HALL at THOLING MONASTERY - TIBET

Wat Pa Daet (ัดป่าแดด), the name - ‘sunlit woodland’ - indicates this was formerly a forest temple. A walled enclosure contains a viharn, sala and ho trai or library, while just outside stands an ubosot in traditional northern style, surrounded by a narrow moat. The viharn dates from 1877 and was painstakingly restored in the mid-1980s. Decorated in black and gold, the three-tiered roof sweeps low in typical Lan Na style, with elaborate winged gables supporting flaring naga. The steps leading to the portico are guarded by Burmese-style chinthe lions and naga-makara balustrades, with the chinthe emerging from the makara mouths, an unusual synthesis found elsewhere in the Mae Chaem Valley as well as at the ho trai of Wat Phra Singh in Chiang Mai. Within the viharn, after passing beneath gilded eyebrow pelmets, are a series of relatively well-preserved late 19th century murals, some of which appear to have been restored, while others are fading almost completely away due perhaps to salin

The Medawala Rajamaha Viharaya or Tempitiya Vihara, north of Kandy is a typical tempath vihara, a small wooden image house or shrine, placed on stilts or piles. The tempath vihara can be regarded as Kandys most significant contribution to Buddhist architecture, but there are not many specimen of its kind left. Some of the frescoes in the Rajamaha Viharaya depict the king and the royal family; but they also depict the everyday life of the commoners, such as a farmer tilling his field with the help of a white bull. One enigmatic painting shows a recumbent Buddha, sleeping safely tucked away behind a mosquito net. Though the frescoes exhibit all the hallmarks of the 18th century, the original construction of the Raja Mahavihara is said to go back to much earlier times. Despite the artistic merit of the frescoes, the most remarkable single feature in the image house is the small ivory figure of a Buddha. The figure is surrounded by an intricately carved wooden shrine.

The Virtuous Ladder with 30 steps from hell to paradise, church dating from 1586, Sucevita Monastery, Moldavia, Romania, Europe

The Mogao Caves, or Mogao Grottoes (Chinese: Mògāo kū) (also known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas and Dunhuang Caves) form a system of 492 temples 25 km (15.5 miles) southeast of the center of Dunhuang, an oasis strategically located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in Gansu province, China. The caves contain some of the finest examples of Buddhist art spanning a period of 1,000 years. The first caves were dug out 366 CE as places of Buddhist meditation and worship. The Mogao Caves are the best known of the Chinese Buddhist grottoes and, along with Longmen Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes, are one of the three famous ancient sculptural sites of China. The caves also have famous wall paintings.

Frescoes on outside south wall, Voronet Monastery, near Gura Humorului, Bucovina, Moldavia, Romania

Debre Berhan Selassie church in Gonder, Ethiopia

Wall painting of lakshmi pressing legs of lord vishnu in laxmi narayan temple, Orchha, Madhya Pradesh, India Copyright: xShivjixJoshi/DinodiaxPhotox

Colourful wall painting, fresco, warriors in a battle, Maharaja-Iena cave, Buddhist cave temple of Dambulla, Golden Temple of Dambulla, Central Province, Sri Lanka, Asia

Guardians of space, Vaicravana, Guardian King of the North, right, Virupakca, Guardian King of the West, left, Tibet. Tibetan Civilisation, Yuan Dynasty, 13th-14th century.

Restored wall paintings Ramakia in Wat Phra Kaeo restored wall paintings Ramakia in Wat Phra Kaeo, Grosser Palast, Bangkok, Thailand, Asia

Herod and Three Wisemen. Chapel St. Julien. 12th cent. France.

Shrine in Temple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa), Kandy, Sri Lanka

Colourful wall painting, fresco, demons engaged in a fierce battle, Maharaja-Iena cave, Buddhist cave temple of Dambulla, Golden Temple of Dambulla, Central Province, Sri Lanka, Asia

Probota Monastery, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Dolhasca, Bucovina, Romania, Europe

Bulgaria, Central Mountains, Troyan, Troyan Monastery, third-largest monastery in Bulgaria, 16th century, with murals painted by Zahari Zograf, votive candles

Banquet of the ten first kings of the Nasrid dynasty.. 15th century. Painting on leather. Granada, the Alhambra Kings room. Location: ALHAMBRA-SALA DE LOS REYES. GRANADA. SPAIN.

Wall painting inside Zuu temple, part of the Erdene Zuu monastery complex in Kharakhorum, Mongolia, Mongolias largest monastery, (UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Myanmar. Shan State. Shwenyaung. Shwe Yan Pyae Monastery. Hundreds of niches filled with tiny Buddha statues.

Ceiling details of Chettinad house Nattukkottai Chettiars, Chettinad, Tamil Nadu, India Copyright: xMxAmirtham/DinodiaxPhotox

Murals in veerabhadra temple at Lepakshi Andhra Pradesh India Copyright: xMxAmirtham/DinodiaxPhotox

wall fresco:the 'six signs of longevity' at the entrance to trongsa dzong, central bhutan.

Sri Rama lakshman hanuman seventeenth century mural in Narambunathaswamy temple wall at Thiruppudaimarudur temple Tamil Nadu Copyright: xMxAmirtham/DinodiaxPhotox

Horyu-ji (Temple of the Flourishing Law) is a Buddhist temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Its full name is Horyu Gakumonji, or Learning Temple of the Flourishing Law, the complex serving both as a seminary and a monastery. In 1993, Horyu-ji was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area. The Japanese government lists several of its structures, sculptures and artifacts as National Treasures. The kondo, or great hall of the temple, dating in part to the 7th century, is famous for its 7th century Buddhist murals. Unfortunately, on January 26, 1949, a fire in the kondo caused very severe damage to the murals, many of which were destroyed. The murals of the kondo comprise fifty walls; four larger walls, eight mid-sized walls and thirty-eight small wall areas inside the building. The original murals were removed after the fire incident in 1949 and are kept in storage. Twenty small wall paintings that escaped the fire remain in pla

The Mogao Caves, or Mogao Grottoes (Chinese: mò gao ku), also known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas and Dunhuang Caves, form a system of 492 temples 25 km (15. 5 miles) southeast of the center of Dunhuang, an oasis strategically located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in Gansu province, China. The caves contain some of the finest examples of Buddhist art spanning a period of 1,000 years. The first caves were dug out 366 AD as places of Buddhist meditation and worship. The Mogao Caves are the best known of the Chinese Buddhist grottoes and, along with Longmen Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes, are one of the three famous ancient sculptural sites of China. The caves also have famous wall paintings.

Tibetan Buddhism, Newari-style sculptures, colourfully painted statues made of wood and clay, three Buddha statues, Palcho Monastery, also known as Pelkor Chode Monastery, Gyantse, Himalaya Range, Tibet Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China, Asia

270 years old Gajendra Moksha murals in Krishnapuram palace at Kayamkulam, Kerala, India, Asia. Largest mural panel in Kerala. Vishnu, Crocodile, Elephant, Painting, Asia

Enshrined Manjushri with Monks and Deities, Cover of a Prajnaparamita (The Perfection of Wisdom). Central or western Tibet, 15th century. Books. Wood with opaque watercolor

Iglesia de San Juan, frescos.Cavusin.Capadocia.Anatolia.Turquia.

Altar screen of metal, set with bone, shell, precious and semi-precious stones. From Nepal. Dated 18th Century

detail of the temple Wat Phra Singh in Chiang Mai

China, Gansu Province, Shuilian Dong Water Curtain Cave, Sakyamuni rock sculptures at Lashao temple, Northern Wei dynasty (386-534)

Yeha village, mural at the monastery, Abba Aftse church, Abuna Aftse, Ethiopia, Africa

Palestine is a name given to the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. The region is also known as the Land of Israel, the Holy Land and the Southern Levant. In 1832 Palestine was conquered by Muhammad Ali's Egypt, but in 1840 Britain intervened and returned control of the Levant to the Ottomans in return for further capitulations. The end of the 19th century saw the beginning of Zionist immigration and the Revival of the Hebrew language. The movement was publicly supported by Great Britain during World War I with the Balfour Declaration of 1917. The British captured Jerusalem a month later, and were formally awarded a mandate in 1922. In 1947, following World War II and the Holocaust, the British Government announced their desire to terminate the Mandate, and the United Nations General Assembly voted to partition the territory into a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Jewish leadership accepted the proposal but the Arab Higher Committee rejected it; a

Temple guard, gilded figures on red background at the temple entrance, temple Wat Sensoukharam, Luang Prabang, Laos, Asia

Wat Buak Khrok Luang, located in Ban Buak Khrok Luang Moo 1, Chiang Mai - Sankamphaeng Road, Chiang Mai, is a small and typically northern Thai Buddhist temple. It is believed to have been founded in the 15th century during the time of the independent Lan Na Kingdom (1292-1558), and was extensively restored during the reign of Chao Kaew Naowarat (r.1911-1939), the last King of Chiang Mai. The temple is chiefly noteworthy for its main viharn, which is purely Lan Na in inspiration, with a four-tiered roof and elegant naga balustrade entrance. The most remarkable aspect of the viharn is its extensive mural paintings, dating from around 1835 during the reign of Chao Phuttawong (r.1826-1846), the fourth ruler of the Chiang Mai Thipchang Dynasty. The murals, which are northern Thai in style with clear elements of Shan State and Konbaung Dynasty Burmese influence, are among the best in northern Thailand. They feature the jataka stories, past lives of the Buddha, and are interspersed with vern

Tetova, Polog, North Macedonia. September 7, 2024. Interior view of the Colorful Mosque in Tetova.

Horyu-ji (Temple of the Flourishing Law) is a Buddhist temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Its full name is Horyu Gakumonji, or Learning Temple of the Flourishing Law, the complex serving both as a seminary and a monastery. In 1993, Horyu-ji was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area. The Japanese government lists several of its structures, sculptures and artifacts as National Treasures. The kondo, or great hall of the temple, dating in part to the 7th century, is famous for its 7th century Buddhist murals. Unfortunately, on January 26, 1949, a fire in the kondo caused very severe damage to the murals, many of which were destroyed. The murals of the kondo comprise fifty walls; four larger walls, eight mid-sized walls and thirty-eight small wall areas inside the building. The original murals were removed after the fire incident in 1949 and are kept in storage. Twenty small wall paintings that escaped the fire remain in pla

King and courtiers on a 13th c Rhages bowl. Mongolian Period.

Shrine at City Palace, Udaipur, Rajastan, India

Tabla religiosa. Pintura mural.Chittra Shala. Fuerte Taragarh.(s.XVI). Bundi. Cordillera Vindhya. Rajastan. India.

Painting of Lord Krishna With Gopikas on Dr. Ramnath Podar Haveli Museum, Nawalgarh, Rajasthan, India. Painting of Lord Krishna With Gopikas on Dr. Ramnath Podar Haveli Museum, Nawalgarh, Rajasthan, India. Copyright: xZoonar.com/RealityImagesx 21269918

Ceiling paintings at a pavilion of the Puri Semarapura Palace, Klungkung, Bali, Indonesia.

The Mogao Caves, or Mogao Grottoes (Chinese: Mògāo kū) (also known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas and Dunhuang Caves) form a system of 492 temples 25 km (15.5 miles) southeast of the center of Dunhuang, an oasis strategically located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in Gansu province, China. The caves contain some of the finest examples of Buddhist art spanning a period of 1,000 years. The first caves were dug out 366 CE as places of Buddhist meditation and worship. The Mogao Caves are the best known of the Chinese Buddhist grottoes and, along with Longmen Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes, are one of the three famous ancient sculptural sites of China. The caves also have famous wall paintings.

Ceiling painting, virupaksha temple, hampi, karnataka, India, asia India copyright: xduttagupta/dinodiaxphotox -

Romania, Bucovina Region, Bucovina Monasteries, Sucevita, Sucevita Monastery, 16th century, exterior religious frescoes

Wall painting of lord ganesh and shreenathji in garh palace, Bundi, Rajasthan, India Copyright: xShivjixJoshi/DinodiaxPhotox

Abbey church of Saint_Savin sur Gartempe, known as the Romanesque Sistine Chapel, contains many 11th and 12th century murals, UNESCO World Heritage Si...

wall of monastery, sarnath, varanasi, uttar pradesh, India, Asia Copyright: xMukeshxParpiani/DinodiaxPhotox

The Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India are 31 rock-cut cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE. The caves include paintings and sculptures considered to be masterpieces of both Buddhist religious art (which depict the Jataka tales) as well as frescos which are reminiscent of the Sigiriya paintings in Sri Lanka. The caves were built in two phases starting around 200 BCE, with the second group of caves built around 600 CE. Since 1983, the Ajanta Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The caves are located in the Indian state of Maharashtra, just outside the village of Ajintha in Aurangabad district.

Picture on the wall of temple in Wat Phra Singh in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Paintings of Krishnaleela on the Dr. Ramnath Podar Haveli Museum, Nawalgarh, Rajasthan, India. Paintings of Krishnaleela on the Dr. Ramnath Podar Haveli Museum, Nawalgarh, Rajasthan, India. Copyright: xZoonar.com/RealityImagesx 21269917

Fresco titled 'The Pantocrator and the Last Supper'. Dated 12th Century

Myanmar (Burma), Sagaing State, Hpo Win Mounts, Po Win Daung, the Queen caves, wall paintings showing the itinerary of Buddha to the purification, the red ceiling is representative of the end of the 17th century

KrishnaArtist UnknownSriranganatha Temple, Tamil Nadu, India

Ceremonial scrolls of Yao Tribe, Northern Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

Mantle ("The Paracas Textile") Nasca. Mantle ("The Paracas Textile"), 100-300 C.E. Cotton, camelid fiber, 24 5/8 × 58 11/16 in. (62.5 × 149 cm). This extraordinarily complex mantle, or cloak, is one of the most renowned Andean textiles in the world. It was most likely used as a ceremonial object. The ninety figures decorating the border, created by needle knitting, have been interpreted as a microcosm of life on Perus South Coast two thousand years ago, with a particular focus on agriculture. Many of the images illustrate native flora and fauna as well as cultivated plants. Costumed figures may represent humans impersonating gods and acting as intermediaries between the real and supernatural worlds. Severed human trophy heads are shown as germinating seeds, suggesting the practice of ritual sacrifice and the interconnected cycles of birth and death. Este extraordinariamente complejo manto, o capa, es uno de los textiles andinos más conocidos en el mundo. Fue usado probablemente como

The Passion of the Christ. Christian painting. From the diptych of the church of Qaha Iyasus. From Ethiopia.

Painting of Goddess Sarawati and men and women, Dr. Ramnath Podar Haveli Museum, Nawalgarh, Rajasthan, India. Painting of Goddess Sarawati and men and women, Dr. Ramnath Podar Haveli Museum, Nawalgarh, Rajasthan, India. Copyright: xZoonar.com/RealityImagesx 21269846

Close-up of decorated doors, Garudas, Wat Phra Kaeo (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), Bangkok, Thailand

Buddhism picture Buddhism picture at Kek Lok Si Temple, Penang, Malaysia Copyright: xZoonar.com/szefeix 4441653

Colourful wall painting, fresco, praying gods with nimbus, halo, Maharaja-Iena cave, Buddhist cave temple of Dambulla, Golden Temple of Dambulla, Central Province, Sri Lanka, Asia

Silk scroll of Fugen Bosatsu on lion. Namboku-cho Period. 14th cent.

Romanische Altarfront aus Esterri de Cardos Romanesque altar frontal from Esterri de Cardos, 1225, tempera, stucco reliefs and remains of metal leaves on wood, Church of Sant Pau, Pallars Sobira, MNAC, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain Copyright: xZoonar.com/TOLOxBALAGUERx 23146610

Mural art in the Srivilliputhur Andal temple, Srivilliputtur, Tamil Nadu, Tamilnadu, South India, India, Asia

PAPUA NEW GUINEA, SEPIK RIVER, SPIRIT HOUSE, INTERIOR, PAINTED BARK

Tibetan illustration by Anonymous painter, painting, 19th century, Private Collection

Painting of King with Maids and other Kings on side, Kamal Morarka Haveli Museum, Nawalgarh, Rajasthan, India. Painting of King with Maids and other Kings on side, Kamal Morarka Haveli Museum, Nawalgarh, Rajasthan, India. Copyright: xZoonar.com/RealityImagesx 21269709

wall of monastery, sarnath, varanasi, uttar pradesh, India, Asia Copyright: xMukeshxParpiani/DinodiaxPhotox

South America, Peru, In an earlier age murals of hell were painted on the walls of Huaro church

Mural art in the Srivilliputhur Andal temple, Srivilliputtur, Tamil Nadu, Tamilnadu, South India, India, Asia

Construction of the Shwezigon Pagoda began during the reign of King Anawratha (r. 1044 -1077) and was completed during the reign of King Kyanzittha, in 1102. Bagan, formerly Pagan, was mainly built between the 11th century and 13th century. Formally titled Arimaddanapura or Arimaddana (the City of the Enemy Crusher) and also known as Tambadipa (the Land of Copper) or Tassadessa (the Parched Land), it was the capital of several ancient kingdoms in Burma.

Group of Buddhists by unknown painter, fresco , 9th-10th century, Russia, St Petersburg, State Hermitage

300 year- old wall paintings murals frescoes in Uma Maheswarar temple in Konerirajapuram near Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, South India, India, Asia

statue in thai temple, digital photo picture as a background statue in thai temple, beautiful photo digital picture Copyright: xZoonar.com/albertoxgiacomazzix 12851562

Chinese embroidered silk jacket or coat for a child. Late 18th century

Myanmar, Shan State, Nyaung Shwe,Wall at Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, also known as Shwe Yaunghwe Monastery.

The ceiling at the entrance to the Old Church at the Sinaia Monastery in Prahova county in the Transylvania region of central Romania.

Brighton, England, United Kingdom. Royal Pavillion and Gardens, interior with opulent Asian design and decor. (Editorial Use Only)

Magnificent interiors, majestic Meherangarh Fort, Jodpur, Jodpur, Rajasthan, India, Asia

The Punakha Dzong, also known as Pungtang Dewa chhenbi Phodrang ('the palace of great happiness or bliss') was built in 1637 - 1638 by the 1st Zhabdrung Rinpoche and founder of the Bhutanese state, Ngawang Namgyal (1594 - 1651). It is the second largest and second oldest dzong (fortress) in Bhutan, located at the confluence of the Pho Chhu (father) and Mo Chhu (mother) rivers in the Punakha-Wangdue valley. Punakha Dzong is the administrative centre of Punakha District, and once acted as the administrative centre and the seat of Bhutan's government until 1855, when the capital was moved to Thimphu, though it still acts as the winter capital for the head of the Bhutanese clergy. It houses sacred relics from the southern Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism.

painted Deities on Ganesha imaginary Palace, Pune, Maharashtra, India, Asia Copyright: xNitinxKelvalkar/DinodiaxPhotox

Bolivia. Santa Cruz department. Colonial Church of San José de Chiquitos (Chiquitania). Old Jesuit Mission(1698). UNESCO World Heritage Site. Mural painting..

thanka or painting of the Buddha, Buddhist monastery of Tengboche Sagarmatha National Park, Khumbu Himal, Nepal, Asia

of 2