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Monolithic architecture

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Monolithic architecture is a style of construction in which a building is carved, cast or excavated from a single piece of material.

The most basic form of monolithic architecture is the monolith, such as the monolithic churches of Lalibela, Ethiopia or the Pancha Rathas in India.

Buildings with a structural material which is poured into place, most commonly concrete, can also be described as monolithic. Extreme examples are monolithic domes, where the material is sprayed inside of a form to produce the solid structure. An ancient example of a monolithic dome is that of the Mausoleum of Theodoric in Ravenna, Italy, which is a single stone.