Kharwar monastery, (towards) Charkh, Velayat-e Lowgar, AF

Raw data

"122. Kharwar (Kafir Kot)
Variant Names: Kharvar, Khawrakay, Karfir Kowt, Kefir Kot
Logar Province. Kharwar District, near the village of Kharwar (Khawrakay) about 56 miles (90 kilometers) south of Kabul, about 40 kilometers northeast of Ghazni. 
Warwick Ball (in Archaeological Gazetteer of Afghanistan, nr 565) located a portion of Kharwar (or Khurwar) at latitude 34º43'N, longitude 68º52'E.
World City Database locates Kharwar at Lat. 33.74, long. 68.8958333
Dates: Kushano-Sassanian: 3rd-7th c. AD (stylistic)
Warwick Ball described Kharwar as "an extensive plain c. 40 km northeast of Ghazni on the route to Charkh-i Logar. Description: ruins of a large town, where many coins have been found."
The site is very large — approximately 19 square miles centered on the given coordinates, but never scientifically excavated, so its true size remains unknown— comprising a number of sites and ruins of an immense Buddhist monastery complex or city, where a fortified gate, many stupas, statues and coins have been found.
[…]
[The] site, which archeologists term "the Pompeii of the Buddhist world": meaning a site that was essentially frozen in time, [was] abandoned when the first Islamic armies reached this part of Central Asia during the 8th or 9th century.
[…]
Latitude 33.76° N Longitude 68.82° E"
DoDLRMP and CEMML (2010:#122 Kharwar)

Input by: tmciolek, Aug 17, 2010

Final data (and their sources)

Last updated: 06 Aug 2013

Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 20 km from the point defined by the coordinates below.

Location of Kharwar monastery, AF.

General location of the Kharwar monastery, AF.
Lat 33.76 Long 68.82
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2010.


Google Map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=33.76+68.82+(Approx.%20loc.%20of%20the%20Kharwar%20monastery,%20AF)&ll=33.76,68.82&spn=05.0,05.0&t=k&hl=en


Final data - explanatory notes

1. Monastery's name

  • Kharwar monastery - DoDLRMP and CEMML (2010:#122 Kharwar)

2. Monastery's modern country & province

  • Afghanistan:Velayat-e Lowgar

3. Monastery's alternative/historical names

  • Kafir Kot - DoDLRMP and CEMML (2010:#122 Kharwar)
  • Kharvar - DoDLRMP and CEMML (2010:#122 Kharwar)
  • Khawrakay - DoDLRMP and CEMML (2010:#122 Kharwar)
  • Karfir Kowt - DoDLRMP and CEMML (2010:#122 Kharwar)
  • Kefir Kot - DoDLRMP and CEMML (2010:#122 Kharwar)

4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates

  • Approx., Lat 33.76 Long 68.82 - DoDLRMP and CEMML (2010:#122 Kharwar)

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

  • [missing data]

10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition

  • [missing data]

11. Date-early

  • 3rd c. CE (stylistic) - DoDLRMP and CEMML (2010:#122 Kharwar)

MBM chrono-tag: 0200-32p 0233-66p 0267-99p - tmciolek 06 Aug 2013
0200-32p 0233-66p 0267-99p 0300-32c 0333-66c 0367-99c 0400-32c 0433-66c 0467-99c 0500-32c 0533-66c 0567-99c 0600-32c 0633-66c 0667-99c 0700-32p 0733-66p 0767-99p 0800-32p 0833-66p 0867-99p dated-el


12. Date-intermediate

  • 7th c. CE (stylistic) - DoDLRMP and CEMML (2010:#122 Kharwar)

13. Date-late

  • 8th or 9th c CE - DoDLRMP and CEMML (2010:#122 Kharwar)

MBM chrono-tag: 0700-32p 0733-66p 0767-99p 0800-32p 0833-66p 0867-99p - tmciolek 06 Aug 2013

** - tmciolek 06 Aug 2013


14. Details of contacts with other monasteries

  • [missing data]

15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery

  • [missing data]

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]

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