Fonduquistan monastery, (near) Siah Gerd, Velayat-e Parvan, AF

Raw data

"Site bouddhique situé en Afghanistan, le monastère de Fondukistan, signalé dès 1836, a été fouillé en 1937 par Jean Carel, membre de la délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan (Mémoires D.A.F.A., t. VIII, 1959). À la lumière des découvertes faites à partir des années 1960, Fondukistan est devenu un site de référence : il illustre un style particulier qui semble exprimer une tendance esthétique générale aux VIIe et VIIIe siècles en Asie centrale (de l'actuel Afghanistan au Xinjiang). L'ordonnance du monastère est classique : une cour carrée délimitée par une enceinte à la face interne de laquelle étaient adossées douze chapelles, trois par côté ; au centre de la cour, un stūpa. Les peintures murales et les rondes-bosses en terre crue polychrome caractérisent ce style : silhouettes élancées au buste allongé qui dénotent un certain maniérisme."
http://www.universalis.fr/encyclopedie/monastere-de-fondukistan/

"Fundukistan monastery in the Ghorband Valley, Afghanistan, around 600 CE"
http://www.lessing-photo.com/dispimg.asp?i=05010530+&cr=82&cl=1

"067. Fonduquistan
Variant name: Fondukistan
Parwan Province. On a hill in the Ghurband Valley five kilometers south of Siahgird.
Date: Turki Shahi/Hindu Shahi period, mid-late 7th century AD (numismatic, stylistic evidence)
A Buddhist monastery complex situated at the top of a steeply raked hill. The summit consists of a courtyard surrounded by niches decorated with elaborate painted clay sculptures and frescos. Of particular importance is Niche E, which contained large numbers of sculptures and a hoard of Arabo-Sassanian coins. Construction is of mud-brick and pakhsa."
Latitude […] 34.96667 Longitude […] 68.88333"
- DoDLRMP and CEMML (2010:#067 Fonduquistan)
Input by: tmciolek, Jul 7, 2010
Funduqistan (Parvan province)
By the mountain road from Bamiyan to Kabul (117 km north-west of Kabul and 120 km east of Bamiyan), near the village of Siyagird, some children accidentally discovered some fragments of mud-mouldings and brought them to the local authorities. fortunately, Joseph Hackin and Jean Carl of DAFA visited the site in 1936 and began excavation work. They discovered a charming small monastery. In the alcoves of its chapels were groups of previously unknown male and female figures executed in a vivid and realistic style. These sculptures date from the late seventh to the eighth century ad. They were moved to the Kabul Museum with great difficulty.
Bibliography:
D. Barrett, 1957, OrA, III, 2.
J. Hackin, 1959, MDAFA, VIII, pp. 49–58. B. Rowland, Jr., 1953.
Src: Tissot (2006)
Input by: tmciolek, Aug 01, 2014

Final data (and their sources)

Last updated: 01 Aug 2014

Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 2 km from the point defined by the coordinates below.

Location of Fonduquistan monastery, AF.

General location of the Fonduquistan monastery, AF.
Lat 34.96667 Long 68.88333
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2010.


Google Map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=34.96667+68.88333+(Approx.%20loc.%20of%20the%20Fonduquistan%20monastery,%20AF)&ll=34.96667,68.88333&spn=05.0,05.0&t=k&hl=en

Final data - explanatory notes

1. Monastery's name

  • Fonduquistan monastery - DoDLRMP and CEMML (2010:#067 Fonduquistan)

2. Monastery's modern country & province

  • Afghanistan:Velayat-e Parvan

3. Monastery's alternative/historical names

  • Fondukistan monastery - DoDLRMP and CEMML (2010:#067 Fonduquistan)

4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates

  • Approx., Lat 34.96667 Long 68.88333 - DoDLRMP and CEMML (2010:#067 Fonduquistan)

5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries

  • [missing data]

6. Modern name of the known nearest city, town, or village

7. The settlement's alternative/historical names

8. The settlement's coordinates

9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition

  • Fondukistan "seemed to also follow Mahayana Buddhism, from the evidence of their paintings and sculptures." - Anonymous (1997).

10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition

  • [missing data]

11. Date-early

  • MBM chrono-tag 0600-32p 0633-66p 0667-99p 0700-32p - tmciolek 14 Feb 2013
  • MBM chrono-tag 0600-32p 0633-66p 0667-99p 0700-32p dated-e

12. Date-intermediate

  • [missing data]

13. Date-late

  • [missing data]

14. Details of contacts with other monasteries

  • [missing data]

15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery

  • archaeological

16. Additional notes

  • [missing data] (incl. details of the size of the monastic population)

17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by

  • [missing data]

end of page

0600-32p0633-66p0667-99p0700-32p2kmafghanistancentral-asiadated-efmuralsplacesouth-asiatradition(?)
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