Tacht-i Sangin
Coordinates: 37 ° 3 '17.3 " N , 68 ° 16' 54.5" E
Tacht-i Sangin (also Takht-i Sangin , Tajik Тахти сангин Tachti sangin , Persian تخت سنگین, DMG Taḫt-i Sangīn , 'rock throne ') is an archaeological site in southern Tajikistan . It includes a fortification and a large temple , known as Oxus temple is known. The complex was built in the 3rd century BC. BC and has architectural, cultural and religious characteristics of the Persian Achaemenid Empire and the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom .
location
The archaeological site is located near the confluence of the rivers Panj and Vakhsh the Amu Darya , one of the great rivers of Central Asia, which in ancient Oxus was called. In this area, the Pandsch and, in the further course of the Amu Darya, form the border between Tajikistan and the southern neighboring state of Afghanistan , so that Tacht-i Sangin is now directly on the border between the two states. The terrain slopes steeply from the peaks of the western foothills of the Pamirs into the valley of the river, with Tacht-i Sangin being built on a rock platform above the river. This location explains the name of the site, which can be translated as rock platform or rock throne. The area around the site is sparsely populated; larger cities are Afghan Kunduz , about 60 kilometers southeast of Tacht-i Sangin, and the Tajik provincial capital Qurghonteppa . about 100 kilometers north of the site.
history
The historical background of Tacht-i Sangin has not yet been conclusively clarified and is the subject of current research. The origin of the Oxus temple is today in the 3rd century BC. Chr. Dated and in the period after the campaigns of Alexander the Great , which he had led up to what is now Tajikistan. After the death of Alexander, the region was part of the Seleucid Empire and from 256 BC. Chr. Central part of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom that by splitting off from the Seleucid kingdom under Diodotos I. was founded. Despite this dating, there are also numerous finds from the time of the Achaemenid Empire , which perished with the defeat by Alexander the Great. These pieces do not come from Tacht-i Sangin, but were made before the Greek invasion. The pieces may have been transferred to Tacht-i Sangin from a nearby temple complex from the Achaemenid period. In addition to the Achaemenid and Hellenistic finds, coin finds in particular also prove the influence of the Kushana Empire , which started in northern India from the second century BC. BC was able to gain control of some areas in the south of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom. Accordingly, the temple continued to exist for a time under the rule of the Kushana, before it was forgotten as a result of the cultural and religious changes in the region after the fall of the Greco-Bactrian kingdom.
Since November 9, 1999, the Tacht-i Sangin site has been listed on Tajikistan's list of proposals for inclusion in UNESCO World Heritage .
description
The center of the complex is a citadel , in which the Oxus Temple was also located. The surrounding settlement extended in a radius of about one kilometer around the citadel. The traces of settlement indicate a right-angled network of paths in the city, buildings outside the citadel mainly contain remains of foundations and columns. The walls of the citadel, which are up to three meters thick, enclose an area measuring 235 by 167 meters. The central building of the citadel was the Oxus Temple, which was built on a square base with a side length of 51 meters. The temple complex was laid out symmetrically with the main entrance in the east, which was designed as a portico with two rows of four columns each. The entrance to the temple complex led into an inner courtyard, at the western end of which was the spiritual center of the complex. This extended over a square area of 32 meters on each side and consisted of a central chancel, flanked by four smaller porticoed halls. In the architectural tradition of Zoroastrianism , the pillared halls of the Ateschgah (dt.Hort of Fire), where an eternal flame burned.
The Tacht-i Sangin site has architectural features from different cultures and eras. The numerous columns of the complex were designed in the style of the Ionic order , while the built-in bricks and the construction of the wall show clear characteristics of Achaemenid architecture. The design of the temple complex indicates a syncretism of Hellenistic and Zoroastrian beliefs, which is already suggested by an ancient Greek inscription on a limestone altar in the Oxus temple:
Atrosokes dedicates his vow to the Oxus
The name Atrosokes is of Zoroastrian origin, while the dedication to the Oxus, the ancient name of Amudarjas, indicates a water and river cult widespread in both Greek mythology and Zoroastrianism . Further traces of the Hellenistic influence are depictions of nymphs and other beings from Greek mythology, which were found on numerous finds from Tacht-i Sangin.
Archaeological investigation
The research history surrounding Takht-i Sangin began largely with the excavations of the Soviet archaeologist Boris Litwinski and Igor Pitschikjan from 1976 to 1991. The two archeologists created based on many years of excavations a map of the facility and put the remains of the citadel and the Oxus Temple free . In total, more than 5,000 individual finds were found during excavations on the site of Tacht-i Sangin, many of which are now exhibited in the Tajik National Museum. These include coins from different eras as well as numerous weapons and works of art, especially made of ivory . The works of art were mostly statues , busts and reliefs in the Greek style, while the weapons found are mostly of Achaemenid origin. The history of research around Tacht-i Sangin is closely related to the question of the origin of the Oxus treasure . It is assumed that the treasure comes from the area around Tacht-i Sangin, the most likely location is Tacht-i Kuwad, another site a few kilometers away from Tacht-i Sangin. A connection between the temple complex and Alexander the Great was often established, but the construction of the temple complex is now dated to the post-Alexandrian period. Overall, Tacht-i Sangin is one of the most important sites for research into the Graeco-Bactrian culture.
gallery
Other finds from Tacht-i Sangin, exhibited in the Tajik National Museum:
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Web links
- The Site of Ancient Town of Takhti-Sangin on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website for tentative lists.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Boris Litvinskiy, Igor Pitschikjan: The Hellenistic Architecture and Art of the Temple of the Oxus . In: Bulletin of the Asia Institute . tape 8 , 1994.
- ^ The Site of Ancient Town of Takhti-Sangin. In: UNESCO World Heritage Center. Retrieved November 16, 2020 .
- ^ Karl Jettmar: Review Oxus Treasure and Oxus Temple: Achaemenid Art in Central Asia . In: Central Asiatic Journal . No. 38 . Harrassowitz Verlag, 1994.
- ↑ Sonja Bill, Dagmar Schreiber: Tajikistan with Dushanbe, Pamir and Fan Mountains . 3rd, updated and expanded edition. Trescher Verlag, Berlin, ISBN 978-3-89794-434-3 , pp. 381-383 .