Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and Neighbouring City Remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol
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How it came to be
Takht-i-Bahi is a Buddhist monastery on a hilltop near Mardan in north-western Pakistan. It was founded in the early 1st century AD and used until the 7th century. An inscription bearing the name of the Indo-Parthian king Gondophares has been found here. UNESCO calls it the most complete Buddhist monastery in Pakistan.
The buildings are of local stone set in lime and mud mortar, in the Gandharan manner. A main stupa court, a court of votive stupas, a monastic quadrangle with meditation cells and an assembly hall survive. Its hilltop position spared it from successive invasions. About 5 km away on the plain lies Sahr-i-Bahlol, a small fortified town of the same Kushan period.
The first modern reference to the ruins was made in 1836 by a French officer. Excavation began in 1864, and the site was heavily restored in the 1920s. Sculptures, including scenes from the life of the Buddha, were moved to the Peshawar Museum. The site was inscribed in 1980.
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