Archaeology - Hidden Stupa, Buddhist Monastery in Samangan (Afghanistan)

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In October 2008 I visited Samangan’s Takht-i Rostam, in northern Afghanistan, on my way from Mazar-i Sharif to Kabul with Qais, a Pansheri driver kindly provided by People in Need (a Czech NGO that has been already for a long time in Afghanistan, providing exellent help to people - many thanks to them!). This area includes a great stupa, hidden in the mountain - only the top slightly popping up - and a vast net of monastic cells in a nearby, lower hill. The Buddhist archeological area is relatively well preserved, also due to the fact that locals thought the meditation cells in a row to be an ancient bazar - which made them utterly uninteresting and spared them from any possible outburst of religious zeal... This presentation was prepared for the capacity building workshop for museum professionals organized by UNESCO at Kabul National Museum of Afghanistan in May 2010.

Transcript of Archaeology - Hidden Stupa, Buddhist Monastery in Samangan (Afghanistan)

Safeguarding Cultural Heritage:Post-Conflict and Post-Disaster

Strategies for Sustainable Museum Management

UNESCO Training

May 8-13, 2010Kabul, Afghanistan

Samangan – Takht-i Rostam

Alessandro Califano

UNESCO Training – Session IV

May 9, 2010Kabul, Afghanistan

Samangan

Samangan

Takht-i Rostam – The Setting

Takht-i Rostam – The Hidden Stupa 1/3

Takht-i Rostam – The Hidden Stupa 2/3

Takht-i Rostam – The Hidden Stupa 3/3

Samangan's Monastery – General View

Samangan's Monastery – Lower Access

Samangan's Monastery – Lower Access, Detail

Samangan's Monastery – Large Hall

Samangan's Monastery – Large Hall, Roof

Samangan's Monastery – Monks' Cells

Samangan's Monastery – Second Corridor

Samangan's Monastery – Bassin

Samangan – Credits

All pictures © Alessandro Califano, 2008

Many thanks to People in Need for the assistance provided to me on that occasion.

© Alessandro Califano, 2010