Ajinateppa
Man-made, Cultural, Temple
The ruins of the Buddhist cloister of Ajina-Tepa (Devil’s Hill) in the southwestern part of Kizilsoy village in the Wakhsh district of Khatlon province. This ancient monument is situated 12 km north of the Bokhtar city. The site is approximately 85 km south of the capital city Dushanbe and around 53 km away from Tajikistan’s border with Afghanistan in the opposite direction. Approximate elevation of the site is 430 metres above sea level.
In a wider geographical context, Ajina-Tepa is located in a valley within the lower stream of Wakhsh river surrounded by mountains almost on all sides. The valley stretches south-north for around 100 km and it reaches its widest point in the area around Ajina-Tepa.
Geographical location of Ajina -Tepa in Wakhsh valley
The site is currently surrounded by agricultural lands used for growing fine fiber cotton for several decades. Early site plans and satellite images of the area show that the main monument was part of the larger historical landscape, with several teppas (hills or archaeological mounds).
In a wider geographical context, Ajina-Tepa is located in a valley within the lower stream of Wakhsh river surrounded by mountains almost on all sides. The valley stretches south-north for around 100 km and it reaches its widest point in the area around Ajina-Tepa.
Geographical location of Ajina -Tepa in Wakhsh valley
The site is currently surrounded by agricultural lands used for growing fine fiber cotton for several decades. Early site plans and satellite images of the area show that the main monument was part of the larger historical landscape, with several teppas (hills or archaeological mounds).
The Ajina-Tepa complex functioned around the seventh and eighth centuries AD. It was a typical Buddhist building with the size 50 x 100 m, combining two monasteries: the Vihara monastery and the Sangharama, the place where the Buddhist monastic community lived. It had two parts: the southeastern monastery and the temple halves. It was a renowned religious center for the Buddhist monks.
The buildings of the Vihara monastery were grouped around a square courtyard (19x19m). The entrance to the monastery was in the center of its eastern facade. There was a meeting room for monks in the western part of the building. The territory of the temple in the northern part of the complex had the same layout as the first and was connected to it by a wide passage. The central part of the complex was occupied by a large cross-shaped stupa (base size 14x14m) made of pakhsa. Its steps were covered with burnt bricks and coated with alabaster. There were staircases with handrails on four sides that led upwards to the top of the stupa in the form of seven umbrellas. There were also two more miniatured stupas fenced in the courtyard.
The Buddhist monastery of Ajina-Tepa had a special room, where a painted clay colossus lied on a pedestal. This was a statue of Buddha in nirvana, i.e. in a blissful state of resting and detached from everything. The main theme of Ajina-Tepa’s sculpture and murals was the life of the Buddha and his deeds. At the same time, the canonical type of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas changed least of all, the brahmans were more realistically represented.
The buildings of the Vihara monastery were grouped around a square courtyard (19x19m). The entrance to the monastery was in the center of its eastern facade. There was a meeting room for monks in the western part of the building. The territory of the temple in the northern part of the complex had the same layout as the first and was connected to it by a wide passage. The central part of the complex was occupied by a large cross-shaped stupa (base size 14x14m) made of pakhsa. Its steps were covered with burnt bricks and coated with alabaster. There were staircases with handrails on four sides that led upwards to the top of the stupa in the form of seven umbrellas. There were also two more miniatured stupas fenced in the courtyard.
The Buddhist monastery of Ajina-Tepa had a special room, where a painted clay colossus lied on a pedestal. This was a statue of Buddha in nirvana, i.e. in a blissful state of resting and detached from everything. The main theme of Ajina-Tepa’s sculpture and murals was the life of the Buddha and his deeds. At the same time, the canonical type of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas changed least of all, the brahmans were more realistically represented.
Travelling to the Site