They can be isolated, single tombs or you can find them grouped in sorts of ancient cemeteries.
The Prettiest Domus De Janas In Sardiniaĭomus de Janas are prehistoric tombs, excavated inside the natural rocks of Sardinia, usually granite and limestone. Guided Tours To Domus De Janas In Sardinia. Make sure to also read my posts The Most Interesting Nuraghe In Sardinia, The Best Archeological Sites In Sardinia and The Best Hidden Gems In Sardinia. In this post, I will explain what Domus de Janas are, how they came about, and where to see the prettiest ones. These are the Domus de Janas, and you can find several of them throughout Sardinia. The most famous remains are the nuraghe, the cone-shaped towers left by the Nuragic civilization, but there are even more ancient buildings, made by pre-historic tribes several centuries before Nuraghi. These ancient tribes had their art, religion, and architecture and are still a huge object of study from both local and international scholars. But there is so much more to Sardinia than just sand and water! The Island has a unique archeological heritage, well worth your time and so interesting that you won’t regret visiting Sardinia off season.īeing a somewhat isolated island, Sardinia has hosted several indigenous cultures who created some stunning monuments that can only be found there. A bit out of the way in most places, they are truly worth visiting.Ī trip to Sardinia usually means heavenly beaches, swimming in pristine waters, and relaxing under a big umbrella, with a fresh drink in your hands – at least for the majority of visitors. All the domus de Janas, from the simplest to the most sophisticated, exude a magical charm.Domus de Janas are truly unique sites found in Sardinia. Of the thousands discovered, more than 200 retain carved, engraved and painted decorative motifs, largely symbolic, such as cattle heads, bull horns and spirals. 
Many were built in the likeness of the houses of the living, equipped with double-pitched ceilings, hearths, columns, plinths, basins and false doors, symbols of the passage to the afterlife.
There are many types: pit, oven, chamber and with dromos. The domus are carved into isolated boulders or grouped in necropolises on rocky ridges. Sacredness and rituals drove the pre-Nuragic men to dig into the rock and decorate the 'rooms' that housed their loved ones, who 'slept' in the womb of mother Earth while waiting for the regenerative journey to the afterlife. The name of these 'artificial' caves derives from the ancient belief, spread by popular legends, that they were the homes of tiny fairies, the Janas, who wove golden threads in the moonlight and watched over children's sleep. Using only stone pickaxes, these people dug and shaped the hard rock to create underground tombs where they laid the dead and 'returned' them to the Mother Goddess, a divinity attested to by the discovery of hundreds of votive statues. Over 3500 domus de Janas are scattered throughout the island, an expression of the funerary rites of people who lived five thousand years ago, and then reused in later periods. An underground universe, camouflaged in the landscape of the Sardinian countryside.
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