The 10,000+ man-made caves known as the Mustang Caves or Sky Caves of Nepal are made into valley sides in the Mustang District of Nepal.Situated 150 feet above the valley floor, the huge red, orange, and silver gray cliff face surrounds an enormous number of estimated 10,000 ancient caves.
In the history of discovering these built caves, a number of archaeologists and researchers have discovered a little preserved human bodies and skeletons dated back at least 2,000–3,000 years.Buddhist paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, and other priceless artifacts from the 12th and 14th centuries have also been found during conservationists’ and researchers’ explorations of these caves.
The caves are located in Upper Mustang, close to the Kali Gandaki River, on the unexpected valley walls. Despite years of investigation by research groups, the identity and purpose of the cave’s builders remain a mystery. The site has been listed as a UNESCO tentative site since 1996.
Mustang, with its capital at Lo Manthang, was once part of the Kingdom of Lo, located in northern Nepal. Nepal added the kingdom at the end of the eighteenth century. With a majority of the population still speaking traditional Tibetan languages, Upper Mustang, which was a restricted demilitarized area until 1992, is one of the most preserved regions in the world because of its relative isolation from the outside world. On October 7, 2008, the government of Nepal dissolved the monarchy in Mustang, following the country’s transition to a federal democratic republic.
People can either ride on motorbikes or use any other form of transportation to reach The Sky Caves of Mustang.
