KARA TEPE

Kara Tepe is an archaeological site of major importance, being the only troglodyte complex found in Central Asia. It lies close to the Afghan border. Founded in the ^1st century, its heyday is thought by archaeologists to have been around the ^3rd and ^4th centuries, before declining around the^5th century. It covered some 7 hectares, at least 10 times larger than the site occupied by Fayaz Tepe. Close to the Amou-Daria river, a major waterway, it is thought that port facilities had been built.

The monastic complex is relatively well preserved. One imagines a succession of rooms dating from different periods and spanning several centuries, with some sections comprising both outdoor and underground constructions. As at Fayaz Tepe, excavations have shown that an irrigation system was used to collect water. Awnings rested on impressive colonnades. Numerous niches housed sculptures of gold or ceramic Buddhas. In addition to the remains of a stupa built on earlier stupas, the caves where the monks meditated are particularly noteworthy for traces of the original paintings.

During Iranian rule, under the Sassanid dynasty, the caves were used to store human bones. Why was this? The Sassanids were followers of Zarathustra. According to their religion, only the bones of the dead could be buried, not the whole body.