Takht-i-Bahi (

Pashto Pashto ( , ; , ) is an eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family, natively spoken in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan. It has official status in Afghanistan and the Pakistani province of Khyb ...

/), is an Indo-Parthian archaeological site of an ancient

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 ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

in Mardan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa,

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. The site is considered among the most important relics of Buddhism in all of what was once

Gandhara Gandhara () was an ancient Indo-Aryan people, Indo-Aryan civilization in present-day northwest Pakistan and northeast Afghanistan. The core of the region of Gandhara was the Peshawar valley, Peshawar (Pushkalawati) and Swat valleys extending ...

. The monastery was founded in the 1st century CE,''Takht-i-Bahi'', UNESCO Office, Islamabad, Pakistan, 2002 and was in use until the 7th century. The complex is regarded by archaeologists as being particularly representative of the architecture of Buddhist monastic centers from its era.UNESCO Advisory Body Evaluation of Takht Bhai
/ref> Takht-i-Bahi was listed as a

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

in 1980, with

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

describing it as "exceptionally well-preserved."

Etymology

The origin of the name Takht-i-Bahi is uncertain. According to a local belief, the site got its name from two wells on the hill or the springs nearby. In Persian, ''Takht'' means 'top' or 'throne' while ''bahi'' means 'spring' or 'water'. When put together, their meaning is 'spring from the top' or 'high spring', referencing two springs on the top of mountains. Another suggested meaning is 'throne of origin'. Another etymology suggests that the name Takht-i-Bahi was possibly given to this monastery complex after the Muslims settled in the region. The word "Bahi" (بهی) or "Behhi" is neither Pashto nor Persian, and in one sense in Arabic, "Bahi" means beautiful and bright. In another sense, "Bahi" (بهی) means "بهی البیت بهیاً: the house which is empty and abandoned"; therefore, the "Takht-i-Bahi" (Takht = castle, palace) means a castle where in there no longer is settled a king and has remained abandoned.

Demographics

Population

As of the 2023 census, Takht-i-Bahi had a population of 85,040.

Location

The ruins are located about from Mardan in

's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province. A small fortified city, dating from the same era, sits nearby. The ruins also sit near a modern village known by the same name.UNESCO Periodic Report
/ref> It is located around atop the small hill and around from the village bazar. The surrounding area is known for cultivating sugar cane, wheat, maize, vegetable,. Once remote and little visited, the site now has a road and car park below the ruins and has become popular with visitors. Gandhara_Takht-i-Bahi

Structure

There are four main areas of the Takht Bahi complex: * The Stupa Court, a cluster of

stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...

s located in a central courtyard. * The monastic chambers consist of individual cells arranged around a courtyard, assembly halls, and a dining area. * A temple complex consisting of stupas similar to the Stupa Court but of later construction. * The Tantric monastic complex, which consists of small, dark cells with low openings, which may have been used for certain forms of Tantric meditation. Additional structures on the site may have served as residences or meeting halls or for secular purposes. All of the buildings on the site are constructed from local stone and are mortared with lime and mud.

History

Archaeologists divided the history of the complex into four periods, beginning in the 1st century BCE. The monastic complex was likely founded in the early 1st century CE. An inscriptions prove it found bearing the name of Gondophares (2046CE). After Gondophares, the area fell under control of

Kujula Kadphises Kujula Kadphises (Kushan language: Κοζουλου Καδφιζου, also Κοζολα Καδαφες; Kharosthi: 𐨐𐨂𐨗𐨂𐨫 𐨐𐨯, International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ', '; ; r. 30–80 CE, or 40–90 CE accor ...

, the first Kushan king. This first era continued until the 2nd century CE and is associated with another Kushan king

Kanishka Kanishka I, also known as Kanishka the Great, was an emperor of the Kushan dynasty, under whose reign (–150 CE) the empire reached its zenith. He is famous for his military, political, and spiritual achievements. A descendant of Kujula Kadp ...

, as well as early

Parthia Parthia ( ''Parθava''; ''Parθaw''; ''Pahlaw'') is a historical region located in northeastern Greater Iran. It was conquered and subjugated by the empire of the Medes during the 7th century BC, was incorporated into the subsequent Achaemeni ...

n and subsequent Kushan kings. The second construction period, which included the creation of the Stupa Court and assembly hall, occurred during the 3rd and 4th centuries CE. A third construction period, associated with the later Kushan dynasty and the Kidara Kushana rulers, occurred during the 4th and 5th centuries. The region was subjugated by

Huns The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th centuries AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was par ...

in the middle of the fifth century CE, which ended the Kushan rule. The Hun Toramana and then his son Mihirakula slaughtered the inhabitants of the Gandhara region and destroyed most, if not all, Buddhist monasteries. Evidence suggests that Takht-i-Bahi was damaged in the same period of destruction by the Huns. However, the complex appears to have been in use until the 7th century CE. The first modern historical reference to these ruins was made in 1836 by a French officer who referred to the Buddhist remains in a village named Mazdoorabad. Explorations and excavations on the site began in 1864. A significant number of objects can be found in the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

. The site underwent a major restoration in the 1920s.

Works of art

A famous stair-riser from Takht-i-Bahi, now in the British Museum, shows devotees in Hellenistic costume. File:Museum für Indische Kunst Dahlem Berlin Mai 2006 017.jpg, Statue of the

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 ...

, Takht-i-Bahi, 2nd3rd century CE. Schist, H. . Museum für Indische Kunst. File:PharroAndArdoxsho.jpg, Couple protectors Pañcika and Hariti, Takht-i-Bahi.

. File:Buddha on Lion Throne, Takht-i-Bahi, Gandhara, 2nd-3rd century AD, schist - Ethnological Museum, Berlin - DSC01656.JPG, The Buddha on lion throne. Takht-i-Bahi. Schist, H. . Museum für Indische Kunst. File:Gandhara, shakyamuni in piedi, forse da takhi-i-bahi (pakistan), 150-200 dc ca.jpg, Shakyamuni, 150200CE,

Cleveland Museum of Art The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is an art museum in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Located in the Wade Park District of University Circle, the museum is internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian art, Asian and Art of anc ...

, perhaps from Takht-i-Bahi

Nearby localities

The villages of Thordher (Old name Said Ghani Kalae), Ghafe, Lund Khwar, Sher Garh, Saroo Shah, Sehri-Bahlol, Pathai, Mazdoorabad, Fazl-e-abad, Gangai, Hathian, Jalala, Pirsaddi, Takkar and Mashal Khan Kalai are other historical places in the vicinity of Takht-i-Bahi. The most historical location in the era is Sehri Bahlol. The monastery is situated on Malakand Road. Various people have explained the word "Sehri-Bahlol" in different ways. Local people claim that it is a

Hindko Hindko (, , ) is an Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan language spoken by several million people of various ethnic backgrounds in northwestern Pakistan, primarily in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and northern Pun ...

word meaning "Sir Bahlol," a prominent political and religious leader of the area. However, the village of Sehri-Bahlol is older than the name is.

References

External links

Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and Neighbouring City Remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol
��UNESCO World Heritage List
UNESCO Periodic Report Summary
��Includes a map of the complex

{{Authority control Archaeological sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Buddhism in Pakistan Buddhist sites in Pakistan Former populated places in Pakistan Mardan District World Heritage Sites in Pakistan