Takht-e-Rostam You can view some photographs of Takht-e-Rostam - TopicsExpress

Takht-e-Rostam You can view some photographs of Takht-e-Rostam here: kabul-e-news/Rustam/ You can click on each of the photographs to see a larger version and read some information about it. The site known as Takht-e-Rostam is located on a hill southwest of the village of Aybak in Samangan Province. It is a Buddhist stupa and monastery complex dating from the 4th and 5th centuries. The site is a well preserved remnant of Buddhist culture in the area and a fascinating (and comparatively safe) place to visit. Afghanistan, before becoming a devout and faithful Islamic nation in the 6th and following centuries, was once a major centre of Buddhism. The Taliban destroyed the famous Bamyan Buddhas in 2001 removing once of the most important archaeological sites of the world. More recently a vast Buddhist settlement has been found at Mes Aynak in Logar Province where one of the world’s largest copper deposits has been discovered. At the heart of the Takht-e-Rostam site is a stupa. These are common Buddhist structures which are round, dome-shaped constructions usually built above the ground and use for meditation in the Buddhist religion. The stupa in Takht-e-Rostam is different. It is carved into the bedrock of the hill where it is located. To see the stupa you have to stand on the top of the hill and look down, as the outer shell of the hill remains surrounding it. The stupa stands about 8 metres high and has a rectangular room at the top, called a Harmika, which would once have housed relics of the Buddha. At the base of the stupa is a circular pathway around which the Buddhist monks and pilgrims once walked clockwise as they meditated and prayed. Small rooms and entrances have also been carved into the hill at its base to allow access to the walkway. It is uncertain as to why the stupa was carved into the hill rather than being built above ground. It may have been to protect the complex from invaders or even to protect the monks from the harsh weather conditions in the area. In the hill opposite the stupa is a monastery – the place where the monks lived and prayed. Its rooms are also carved out of the bedrock of the hill. It includes two small temples, two corridors between which are a number of very small rooms where the monks slept and prayed, a bath house where the bath tub is still visible and even a toilet. Although centuries of looting and use for different purposes have taken away most of the Buddhist elements at the site, the two temples have recessed arches which once would have contained images of the Buddha. One of the temples has an intricate carving of the lotus flower still visible on its ceiling. Small openings toward the top of the temples allow a soft light to enter making the rooms seem peaceful and prayerful. The current name of the site, “Takht-e-Rostam” (the Throne of Rostam) stems from a legendary hero of Afghan and Persian culture, Rostam. As Islamic culture caused the loss of the memory of the site’s Buddhist background, it became thought of as the site where Rostam married his bride, Thamina. He was said to have sat atop the Harmika on his throne.