Kara Tepe is a Buddhist archaeological site in the

Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

region of Bactria, in the Termez oasis near the city of

Termez Termez ( ) is the capital of Surxondaryo Region in southern Uzbekistan. Administratively, it is a district-level city. Its population is 182,800 (2021). It is notable as the site of Alexander the Great's city Alexandria on the Oxus, as a center ...

in southern

Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...

. The foundations of the site date to the 1st century CE, with a peak of activity around the 3rd and 4th centuries during the

Kushan ''Kushan'' or Kushana may refer to: * Kushan Empire The Kushan Empire (– CE) was a Syncretism, syncretic empire formed by the Yuezhi in the Bactrian territories in the early 1st century. It spread to encompass much of what is now Afghanistan ...

period, before experiencing a fatal decline around the 5th century CE, probably with the invasion of the

Kushano-Sassanian The Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom (or Indo-Sasanians) was a polity established by the Sasanian Empire in Bactria during the 3rd and 4th centuries. The Sasanian Empire captured the provinces of Sogdia, Bactria and Gandhara from the declining Kushan Emp ...

, whose coinage can be found on the site.

History

The earliest

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

worship Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity or God. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recognition of a God. An act of worship may be performed individually, in an informal or formal group, ...

structures in Qoratepa, also known as Qoratag, date back to the 1st century CE. The peak of Qoratepa coincides with the 1st to 3rd centuries CE, during which many

complexes were built. The earlier ones were renovated and expanded. During this period, Buddhist monks, their novices, city officials, and benevolent city dwellers played significant roles and offered support.

Artifacts

Numerous inscriptions on the remnants found in Qoratepa reveal details about the site. According to the inscriptions, some monastic establishments at Qoratepa include Kxadevakavixara - Podsho Monastery, Vxara Gulavxara vxad - Gulavxara's son (Gondafar) Monastery, and Okavixara. Some of the known monks mentioned in the Qoratepa inscriptions are Buddashir, Buddxamitra, and Jivananda. There are preserved depictions of men and women worshippers on the walls as well as statues of Buddha. Many

Buddha statues Much Buddhist art uses depictions of the historical Buddha, Gautama Buddha, which are known as () in Sanskrit and Pali. These may be statues or other images such as paintings. The main figure in an image may be someone else who has obtained B ...

have been found in Qoratepa.

Abandonment

By the end of the 3rd century CE, the Qoratepa monastic communities either fell into decline or were abandoned due to the military campaigns of the

Sasanian Empire The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...

against the

state. In some monastic cells, hearths were installed. During the same period, certain sections of Qoratepa monastic complexes continued to function until the late 4th and early 5th centuries. From the late

4th century The 4th century was the time period from 301 CE (represented by the Roman numerals Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Mid ...

onwards, some of the buildings and worship chambers of Qoratepa were used as burial sites, while the entrance areas were filled with rubble and soil.

Findings

The earliest burials included remnants of clothing and textiles in Sogdian style, Peroz bowls, and bowls decorated with bird motifs. Subsequent burials dated to the 5th-6th centuries included the burial of Termez rulers with one side bearing a leopard figure. From the 7th to the 12th centuries, ascetics used some of the semi-ruined monastic cells and chambers in Qoratepa. The initial graves contain Sogdian-style combs, combs with handles, and eye pendants, horn-shaped spatulas, medallions, and comb cases with engravings,

Sassanian The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, th ...

pottery and lamps, spindle whorls, and an inkwell. They were adorned with inscriptions in Indian scripts (Kharoshthi and Brahmi) and drawings on the walls, including Kushan-Bactrian and Pahlavi-Fars.

Archaeological research

Initially, in the years 1926–1928, the

State Museum of Oriental Art The State Museum of Oriental Art () is one of the biggest cultural institutions in the world for preservation, research, and display of Oriental art. The museum was founded in 1918 as a part of soviet programme to support unique cultures of USSR ...

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

conducted an expedition related to the culture of Eastern peoples. In 1937,

Mikhail Masson Mikhail Yevgenyevich Masson (; 3 December 1897 in Saint Petersburg – 2 October 1986) was a Soviet archaeologist. He was the founder of the archaeology school in Central Asia and a professor, doctor of historical and archaeological sciences and ...

, Y. G. Pchelina conducted research work. In the 1960s, archaeologist B. Y. Stavitsky led archaeological excavations. Later, joint

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

archaeological expeditions took place.

Repairings

Repairs to the monastery in Qoratepa were carried out in the 4th and 5th centuries. The local sculptures were restored, and new wall paintings were created (mostly in one color and located lower than the previous ones). Many pilgrims from

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

visited the monastery. In the 5th century, the monastery was finally abandoned, and its premises began to be used as a cemetery. The findings from the graves indicate that in the 8th century, the

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

monastery was active. Kara Tepe north court.jpg, North court Kara Tepe, North, general view.jpg, General view, northern area Kara Tepe, West, Inside a cave.jpg, Inside a cave

Artefacts

Many niches were found that sheltered sculptures of gold or ceramic

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

s, and awnings rested on impressive colonnades. Remarkably, some of the Buddha statues are surrounded by a full halo, which became current in

Turkestan Turkestan,; ; ; ; also spelled Turkistan, is a historical region in Central Asia corresponding to the regions of Transoxiana and East Turkestan (Xinjiang). The region is located in the northwest of modern day China and to the northwest of its ...

and

East Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of Economy of China, China, Economy of Ja ...

after the Kushan period. A

Brahmi Brahmi ( ; ; ISO: ''Brāhmī'') is a writing system from ancient India. "Until the late nineteenth century, the script of the Aśokan (non-Kharosthi) inscriptions and its immediate derivatives was referred to by various names such as 'lath' or ...

inscription was also recovered from the site. Kara Tepe, Head 2.jpg, Terracotta head (200-400 CE) Kara Tepe, Relief.jpg, Relief (200-400 CE) Kara Tepe terracotta head (2) 200-400 CE.jpg, Terracotta head Kara Tepe, Frieze of an elephant.jpg, Frieze of an elephant File:Kara Tepe, 2nd-4th century CE.jpg, Kara Tepe mural, 2nd-4th century CE. Kara Tepe, West, Greek column base 100-300 CE.jpg, "Greek" column base

References

Archaeological sites in Uzbekistan Kushan Empire Sites along the Silk Road {{Tourist attractions in Uzbekistan