 Head of a king or bodhisattva, stucco, Tepe Narenj, 3rd-6th century CE. | |
  Narenj Hill Shown within Afghanistan Show map of Afghanistan Narenj Hill Narenj Hill (Hindu-Kush) Show map of Hindu-Kush Narenj Hill Narenj Hill (South Asia) Show map of South Asia Narenj Hill Narenj Hill (West and Central Asia) Show map of West and Central Asia | |
| Coordinates | 34°29′31″N69°10′55″E / 34.491958°N 69.181894°E /34.491958; 69.181894 |
|---|---|
| Type | Monastery |
Narenj Hill, locally known asTepe Narenj (meaning orange hill), is anarchaeological site for the remains of a 5th or 6th centuryBuddhist monastery in the southeast ofKabul,Afghanistan.[1] The site is located on a hillside at the foot of Zamburak Shah Mountain, near the ancientBala Hissar andHashmat Khan Lake. It has been excavated under the direction of Zafar Paiman.[2]
The Buddhist monkXuanzang visited the monastery while returning from India in the 7th century. He documented the area's geography and culture in his work,Great Tang Records on the Western Regions.[3] The iconography of the archaeological artifacts recovered demonstrates the practice ofTantric Buddhism in the area. It is believed that Muslim armies destroyed the monastery in the ninth century and was forgotten until post-conflict excavations following theSoviet–Afghan War.
Foundations for the site were discovered by a joint study, conducted by both the Afghanistan's Archaeological Research Institute and Japan's National Research Institute for Cultural Properties.
The site lies along a hill to the southwest ofBala Hissar and is 250 meters long.[4] It is to the west ofHashmat Khan Lake and was discovered beneath a modern police station. The monastery consists of five small stupas for meditation and five chapels. The Afghan Institute of Archaeology has been excavating at the site for one month each summer since 2005.[5] The site was listed in 2008 among the top 100 sites at risk.
Coins from theKushans to theHindu Shahis were found at the site.[6]
Given the material at the site and the fact that the site is uncovered, it is at significant risk for erosion. The sculpture found at the site are made of "clay overlaid with fabric and covered with stucco."[7]
