Tash Rabat caravanserai [monastery?], (near) Akbeit, Naryn Oblasty, KG

Raw data

"The stone fortress Tash-Rabat is located at the altitude of 3530 m, 80 km far from Torugart (China-Kyrgyz border post) and 90 km from Naryn town. Recent investigations have shown that this monument dates back to the 10th century. It is supposed to be the monastery of Nestorian-Christians (or Buddhist) who came here before the Mongolian invasion and before the spreading of Islam in Tian Shan. […] The whole structure consists of a big hall (a few fragments of the original interior are visible) and 31 rooms around it, enclosed by 20 domes with 11 vaults. There are numerous underground passages, secret exits and underground prison (zindan) in the fortress. It is the only construction in Central Asia made of stone, used like a fort by the refugees or hermits, and the place of studying the religion and the shelter for the trade caravans for many centuries."
http://sitara.com/kyrgyz/tour.html

Input by: tmciolek, Jul 2, 2010

Final data (and their sources)

Last updated: 17 Sep 2013

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 Tash Rabat caravanserai & monastery?, KG.

General location of the Tash Rabat caravanserai & monastery?, KG.
Lat 40.82315 Long 75.288766
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2010.


Google Map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=40.82315+75.2631+(Approx.%20loc.%20of%20the%20Tash%20Rabat%20caravanserai%20and%20monastery%20,%20KG)&ll=40.82315,75.2631&spn=05.0,05.0&t=k&hl=en


Final data - explanatory notes

1. Monastery's name

  • Tash Rabat caravanserai and [monastery?]

2. Monastery's modern country & province

  • Kyrgyzstan: Naryn Oblasty

3. Monastery's alternative/historical names

  • [missing data]

4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates


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

  • [missing data]

8. The settlement's coordinates


9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition

  • Likely, a Nestorian (Christian) monastery. However, it is also possible that, instead, the place has served as a Buddhist monastery - http://sitara.com/kyrgyz/tour.html
  • If it were a buddhist establishement was it a Mahayana monastery - tmciolek, 17 Sep 2013.

10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition

  • [missing data]

11. Date-early

MBM chrono-tag 0900-32p 0933-66p 0967-99p - tmciolek 17 Sep 2013
0900-32p 0933-66p 0967-99p 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

  • A structure with a big hall and 31 rooms around it. Assuming that 2/3rd of the building was used as a caravanserai, the putative monastery consisted of some 10 cells. Assuming that each room had 3-5 residents, then the place might have had some 30-50 resident monks - tmciolek, 3 Jul 2010.

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

  • [missing data]

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