Kafir-kala (Tajikistan)
Appearance
Kafir-kala
(Tajikistan)
(Tajikistan)
Ruins of citadel of Kafir-kala.
Location of Kafir-kala
37°35′20″N68°38′47″E/ 37.588861°N 68.646444°E
Kafir-kala( "Fortress of theinfidels") is an ancient fortress in theVakhsh valleyinTajikistan.[1]
Fortress and Buddhist temple[edit]
It consists in a rectangular town surrounded by a wall with towers (360x360 meters), surrounded by a large ditch, and has one citadel (360x360 meters) in one corner, also surrounded by a wall. The citadel (70x70 meters) contained the palace of the rulers.[1]
ABuddhist templewas found in the palace complex of the fortress as well as a BuddhistViharawith Buddhist paintings, belonging to the "Tokharistan school of art".[1][2]Inscriptions with apparently Buddhist content have also been found.[3]
Artefacts[edit]
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Adults in caftan and child, Kafyr Kala, Tajikistan, 7th century CE.National Museum of Antiquities of Tajikistan
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Buddha head, Kafyr Kala, Tajikistan, 7th century CE.National Museum of Antiquities of Tajikistan
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Hunting scene, Kafyr Kala, Tajikistan, 7th century CE.National Museum of Antiquities of Tajikistan
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Hunting scene,Kafyr Kala, Tajikistan, 7th century CE.National Museum of Antiquities of Tajikistan
Sources[edit]
- LITVINSKY, BORIS; SOLOV'EV, VIKTOR (1990)."The Architecture and Art of Kafyr Kala (Early Medieval Tokharistan)"(PDF).Bulletin of the Asia Institute.4:61–75.ISSN0890-4464.JSTOR24048351.
References[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related toKafirkala.
- ^abcDani, Ahmad Hasan; Litvinsky, B. A. (January 1996).History of Civilizations of Central Asia: The crossroads of civilizations, A.D. 250 to 750.UNESCO. p. 150.ISBN978-92-3-103211-0.
- ^UNESCO Collection of History of Civilizations of Central Asia: Online chapter.
- ^"A fragment of birchbark manuscript bearing a text of apparently Buddhist content has been found at Kafyr-kala in the Vakhsh valley." inDani, Ahmad Hasan (1999).History of Civilizations of Central Asia: The crossroads of civilizations: A.D. 250 to 750.Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 387.ISBN978-81-208-1540-7.