Kara Tepe — Old Termez Stupa Terrace
Kushan–Sasanian (100 BCE–500 CE)·Kushan Buddhist (Khalchayan–Termez)·🇺🇿 Surkhandarya Province, Uzbekistan
About
About Kara Tepe — Old Termez Stupa Terrace
Kara Tepe — Old Termez Stupa Terrace in Surkhandarya Province, Uzbekistan is a Kushan–Sasanian (100 BCE–500 CE) temple-complex attributed to Kushan Buddhist (Khalchayan–Termez). Rock-cut monastery terraces with stupa and vihara cells on cliffs at Kara Tepe near Termez. Staviskiy Kara Tepe 1st c CE Buddhist monastery on Amu Darya cliff with patera.
Why it mattersKey Gandharan–Kushan monastery illustrating Buddhist expansion
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Gandhara art evolution
- 02Kushan imperial network
Theories
- 01Monastic economy
- 02Greco-Buddhist fusion
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 100 BCE
- Period
- Kushan–Sasanian (100 BCE–500 CE)
- Culture
- Kushan Buddhist (Khalchayan–Termez)
- Purpose
- Rock-cut monastery terraces with stupa and vihara cells on cliffs at Kara Tepe near Termez
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 100 BCE
Initial construction
c. 1900 CE
Modern excavation
On the ground
Structures & features
37.3500° N · 67.1800° E · 300 m · 3 mapped features
Kara Tepe — Old Termez Stupa Terrace — Sanctuary Court
courtCourt with votive stupas
37.3501° N · 67.1801° EKara Tepe — Old Termez Stupa Terrace — Monk Cells
cellsMonastic cells
37.3498° N · 67.1802° EKara Tepe — Old Termez Stupa Terrace — Stupa Terrace
stupaStupa platform
37.3504° N · 67.1798° E