Buddhist Stupa of Takht-e Rostam, Samangan, Samangan Province, Afghanistan
Located up the hill 3 km southwest above the town of Samangan, the Stupa of Takht-e Rostam in Samangan Province is Afghanistan’s most impressive pre-Islamic site after the Bamiyan Buddhas were destroyed by the Talibans in 2001. Unlike other stupas, Takht-e Rostam has not been mounted above ground, but it has been carved into the ground, in a style that resembles the monolithic churches of Ethiopia. At the top of the stupa is a stone-carved Harmika building, which once held relics of the Buddha. The trench surrounding the stupa is around eight meters deep. A path leads down to the bottom of the trench, where Buddhist monks once clockwise circumnavigated the stupa. Carved inside the outer walls of the trench is a Buddhist monastery with five individual caves and several monastic cells for meditation. Small holes in the roofs allow a little daylight to enter the caves, creating a peaceful atmosphere of twilight. The cave monastery is lacking any decorative elements, but it is impressive for its sheer engineering feat. The Afghan name Takht-e Rostam (Throne of Rostam) refers to a legendary figure in Persian culture. After the Islamization of Afghanistan, when the knowledge of the original purpose of the stupa became lost, the site became known as the place where Rostam supposedly married his bride Tahmina.
Size: 5568px × 3712px
Location: Samangan, Samangan Province, Afghanistan
Photo credit: © François-Olivier Dommergues / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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