Fayaz Tepe, also Fayoz-Tepe, is a Buddhist archaeological site in the

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...

region of Bactria, in the Termez oasis near the city of

Termez Termez ( uz, Termiz/Термиз; fa, ترمذ ''Termez, Tirmiz''; ar, ترمذ ''Tirmidh''; russian: Термез; Ancient Greek: ''Tàrmita'', ''Thàrmis'', ) is the capital of Surxondaryo Region in southern Uzbekistan. Administratively, it is ...

in southern

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...

. Located 15 km west of Termez off the main M39 highway. Bus number 15 runs past the turn-off to Fayaz Tepe, from where it is a 1 km walk without shade. The foundations of the site date to the 1st century CE, with a peak of activity around the 3rd and 4th centuries during the

Kushan The Kushan Empire ( grc, Βασιλεία Κοσσανῶν; xbc, Κυϸανο, ; sa, कुषाण वंश; Brahmi: , '; BHS: ; xpr, 𐭊𐭅𐭔𐭍 𐭇𐭔𐭕𐭓, ; zh, 貴霜 ) was a syncretic empire, formed by the Yuezhi, i ...

period, before experiencing a fatal decline around the 5th century CE, probably with the invasion of the

Kushano-Sassanian Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom (also called Kushanshahs, KΟÞANΟ ÞAΟ ''or Koshano Shao'' in Bactrian, or Indo-Sasanians) is a historiographic term used by modern scholars to refer to a branch of the Sasanian Persians who established their rule in ...

, whose coinage can be found at the nearby site of

Kara Tepe Kara Tepe is a Buddhist archaeological site in the Central Asia region of Bactria, in the Termez oasis near the city of Termez in southern Uzbekistan. The foundations of the site date to the 1st century CE, with a peak of activity around the 3r ...

Site

The site of Fayaz Tepe is located a few hundred meters from

, not far from the city of

. Fayaz Tepe, Monastery and Stupa, model.jpg, Model of the Stupa and monastery Termiz, Fayoz-Tepe (6240998331).jpg, Site of Fayaz Tepe Fayaz Tepe columns.jpg, Fayaz Tepe columns Fayaz Tepe, Monastery, Court.jpg, Fayaz Tepe, Monastery, Court File:Fayaz Tepe stupa.jpg, Fayaz Tepe, Stupa File:Fayaz Tepe, Stupa, inside.jpg, Fayaz Tepe, Stupa, inside

Artefacts

From the site were recovered numerous Buddhist frescoes and reliefs, now mostly located in the

State Museum of History of Uzbekistan The State Museum of History of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: ''Oʻzbekiston tarixi davlat muzeyi''; russian: Государственный музей истории Узбекистана), previously known as the National Museum of Turkestan, was founded i ...

Tashkent Tashkent (, uz, Toshkent, Тошкент/, ) (from russian: Ташкент), or Toshkent (; ), also historically known as Chach is the capital and largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of ...

. A famous niche showing the Buddha and two monks is dated to the 3rd-4th century CE. An inscription has been found recently, which mentions the Kushan king

Huvishka Huvishka ( Kushan: Οοηϸκι, ''Ooēški'', Brahmi: ', '; Kharosthi: 𐨱𐨂𐨬𐨅𐨮𐨿𐨐 ', ') was the emperor of the Kushan Empire from the death of Kanishka (assumed on the best evidence available to be in 150 CE) until the succes ...

. File:Fayaz Tepe, Seated Buddha.jpg, Niche with the Buddha and two monks, 3rd-4th century CE. Fayaz Tepe, Fountain.jpg Fayaz Tepe, Standing Buddha.jpg Fayaz Tepe, Wall Painting of a group of courtiers.jpg, A group of courtiers. Fayaz Tepe, Wall Painting of a seated Buddha.jpg, Seated Buddha Fayaz Tepe, wall painting of Alexander the Great.jpg, A devotee with horns, possibly a

Kushano-Sasanian Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom (also called Kushanshahs, KΟÞANΟ ÞAΟ ''or Koshano Shao'' in Bactrian, or Indo-Sasanians) is a historiographic term used by modern scholars to refer to a branch of the Sasanian Persians who established their rule in ...

motif. File:Fayaz Tepe, Miniature vessel.jpg, Fayaz Tepe, Miniature vessel File:Fayaz Tepe, Pottery with an Indian inscription.jpg, Fayaz Tepe, Pottery with an Indian inscription File:Fayaz Tepe, Sun god.jpg, Fayaz Tepe, Sun god File:Fayaz Tepe mural (men in caftan and boots).jpg, Fayaz Tepe mural (men in caftan and boots) File:Fayaz Tepe mural with horns.jpg, Fayaz Tepe mural of deity with horns

References

Archaeological sites in Uzbekistan Kushan Empire Sites along the Silk Road {{Tourist attractions in Uzbekistan

Site

Artefacts

See also

References