IELTS Cue Card # Describe a historical place

January 4, 2020 IELTS Research

IELTS Cue Card, Describe a historical place

Describe a historical place that you know about.
You should say:

What the place is

Where it is located

What is the historical significance of the place

And describe your experience of the place.

Sample Answer

I have been travelling frequently for the past one year and in this time, I have visited many places of historical significance. There are many places that have blown my mind away with their architecture and historical significance but none so more than the Ajanta and Ellora caves.
The caves are an ancient monument that date back to 2nd century BCE. They are approximately 30 in number however, more were added to them later on in the coming centuries. According to historians they are monasteries and worship halls of Buddhists monks. They have greatly influenced Indian art that followed in the coming years.
They are located in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra (Western India). The caves include paintings and rock-cut sculptures which are very well preserved. They are first of their own kind as experts say the paintings and gestures made by the sculptures show emotions. Vivid colours were used to make wall paintings while fine clay was used to make statues.
There are several accounts mentioning the caves in the history however it was not until the British rule in 18th century that they were discovered hidden in the forest. They are a UNESCO world heritage site and have had a strong influence on artefacts as well in the spread of Buddhism in south East Asia. They were used as monasteries for monks who were travelling around spreading Buddhism so apart from cultural significance it also has a lot of religious importance too.
Well it was very mesmerising to be honest. The caves are still very well preserved and to see such art and different colours being used in it during that time not only describes the importance of colours in our life, but also how advanced Indians were in art and craft during those times. As someone who is fond of history all I can say is, I was mind blown by those caves and no amount of splendid photography can do justice to such marvellous structures.

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