Tepe Narenj
 Head of a king or bodhisattva, stucco, Tepe Narenj, 3rd-6th century CE. | |
  Shown within Afghanistan  Tepe Narenj (Hindu-Kush)  Tepe Narenj (South Asia)  Tepe Narenj (West and Central Asia) | |
| Coordinates | 34°29′31″N69°10′55″E/ 34.491958°N 69.181894°E |
|---|---|
| Type | Monastery |
Tepe Narenj,alsoTappe-e Narenj,is thearchaeologicalsite for the remains of a 5th or 6th centuryBuddhistmonastery nearKabul,Afghanistan.The site has been excavated under the direction of Zafar Paiman.[1]
History[edit]
The Buddhist monkXuanzangvisited the monastery while returning from India in the 7th century. He documented the area's geography and culture in his work,Great Tang Records on the Western Regions.[2]The iconography of the archaeological artifacts recovered demonstrates the practice ofTantric Buddhismin the area. It is believed that Muslim armies destroyed the monastery in the ninth century and was forgotten until post-conflict excavations following theSoviet–Afghan War.
The site[edit]
Foundations for the site were discovered by a joint study, conducted by the Afghan Archaeological Research Institute and Japan's National Research Institute for Cultural Properties.
The site lies along a hill and is 250 meters long.[3]It is located south of Lake Koul-e Heshmatkhan, south of Kabul and was discovered beneath a modern police station. The monastery consists of five small stupas for meditation and five chapels. The Afghan Institute of Archaeology continues to excavate at the site for one month each summer since 2005.[4]The site was listed in 2008 among the top 100 sites at risk.
Coins from theKushansto theHindu Shahiswere found at the site.[5]
Threats[edit]
Given the material at the site and the fact that the site is uncovered, it is at significant risk for erosion. The sculpture found at the site are made of "clay overlaid with fabric and covered with stucco."[6]
Recent political events have meant increased danger for the site as damage from looters, armed conflict and insufficient management continue to be threats.
Notes[edit]
- ^Brendan, Cassar; Sara, Noshadi.Keeping history alive: safeguarding cultural heritage in post-conflict Afghanistan.UNESCO Publishing. p. 87.ISBN978-92-3-100064-5.
- ^"Japanese-Afghan team tries to catalog Buddhist ruins".The Japan Times.27 April 2006. Archived fromthe originalon 16 July 2012.RetrievedJune 8,2011.
- ^"Archive: mission" Tepe Narenj "2007".Association Internationale pour la Promotion et la Recherche en Archeologie. Archived fromthe originalon September 3, 2011.RetrievedJune 8,2011.
- ^"Afghan Institute of Archaeology".RetrievedJune 8,2011.
- ^ALRAM, MICHAEL (2014)."From the Sasanians to the Huns New Numismatic Evidence from the Hindu Kush".The Numismatic Chronicle.174:281.ISSN0078-2696.
- ^"Tepe Narenj".Kabulpress.org. 10 July 2007.RetrievedJune 8,2011.
