Shahr-i Zohak — Bamiyan Fortress Extension
Hephthalite to Ghaznavid (500–1000 CE)·Bamyan fortress town (Hephthalite)·🇦🇫 Bamyan Province, Afghanistan
About
About Shahr-i Zohak — Bamiyan Fortress Extension
Shahr-i Zohak — Bamiyan Fortress Extension in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan is a Hephthalite to Ghaznavid (500–1000 CE) fortress attributed to Bamyan fortress town (Hephthalite). Red fort hill fortress 200 m above Bamyan valley protecting Buddha niches. Shahr-i Zohak with Hephthalite pinnacles and Ghaznavid walls.
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. 500 CE
- Period
- Hephthalite to Ghaznavid (500–1000 CE)
- Culture
- Bamyan fortress town (Hephthalite)
- Purpose
- Red fort hill fortress 200 m above Bamyan valley protecting Buddha niches
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 500 CE
Initial construction
c. 1900 CE
Modern excavation
On the ground
Structures & features
34.8200° N · 67.8300° E · 2500 m · 4 mapped features
Shahr-i Zohak — Bamiyan Fortress Extension — Curtain Wall
wallWall circuit
34.8201° N · 67.8301° EShahr-i Zohak — Bamiyan Fortress Extension — Bastion Tower
towerTower
34.8198° N · 67.8301° EShahr-i Zohak — Bamiyan Fortress Extension — Gate
gateGate
34.8204° N · 67.8298° EShahr-i Zohak — Bamiyan Fortress Extension — Storage Magazine
storageStorage
34.8196° N · 67.8299° E