Sirsukh

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Sirsukh Wall, Taxila
Bastion in the wall of Sirsukh with loopholes for the archers, Taxila
Inside the bastion in the wall of Sirsukh, Taxila

Sirsukh ( Urdu سر سکھ) is a city complex near Taxila in the Pakistani province of Punjab .

The town

Sirsukh was founded by the Kushana king Kanishka around the year 80 AD. The Kushan kings decided to leave the old city complex of Taxila, Sirkap , and instead build a new city on the other side of the Lundi-Nala stream. The city wall of Sirsukh is around five kilometers long and around 5.4 meters wide. The city complex comprises an area of ​​around 2300 × 1000 meters facing west-east. Sirsukh was devastated during the conquest of the Punjab by the Hephthalites ("white Huns", but probably more likely the Alchon group) at the end of the fifth century.

Only a very small part of the old city complex was excavated in 1915 and 1916. It belongs as part of Taxila since 1980 to UNESCO - World Heritage Site .

The city wall

The city wall was built from large stone blocks. The wall is very smooth on the outside. Bastions to defend the city are present at small intervals in the wall. The bastions have a round structure and contain loopholes for archers.

Web links

Commons : Sirsukh  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ John Marshall: Taxila: An Illustrated Account of Archaeological Excavations Carried Out at Taxila Under the Orders of the Government of India between the years 1913 and 1934 , p. 217.
  2. ↑ UNESCO World Heritage List . Retrieved December 21, 2008.

Coordinates: 33 ° 46 ′ 23 "  N , 72 ° 50 ′ 58"  E