| Takht-e Rostam | |
|---|---|
 "Harmika", a building that once held relics of the Buddha | |
| Coordinates | 36°14′44.56″N68°1′19.68″E / 36.2457111°N 68.0221333°E /36.2457111; 68.0221333 |
  Location of Takht-e Rostam in Afghanistan | |
Takht-e Rostam (Dari: تخت رستم) orStupa of Takht-e Rostam[1] is astupa Buddhistmonastery complex 2 km south of the town ofHaibak, Afghanistan.[2] Built in the 3rd-4th century AD while the area was part of theKushano-Sasanian Kingdom the complex is carved entirely from the bedrock and "consists of five chambers, two of them sanctuaries. One of them has a domed ceiling with an elaborate lotus leaf decoration. On an adjacent hill is the stupa, surmounted by a harmika, with several more rough caves around the base. A hoard of Ghaznavid coins was found by chance in one of the caves."[3]
Following theMuslim conquests of Afghanistan the original purpose of the monastery was lost. Instead the site was incorporated intoPersian mythology in the story ofRostam and Sohrab which forms part of the 10th-century Persian epicShahnameh by thePersian poetFerdowsi. In the story it is said thatRostam supposedly traveled to the Kingdom ofSamangan and stayed with the king at Takht-e Rostam.[1] In 2021, the Afghan government renovated the site and built a hall for tourists.[4]
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