The rock stupa
Carved on the hill.
AhmadElhan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · AhmadElhan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · AhmadElhan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · AhmadElhan — CC BY-SA 4.0
Takht-e Rostam is a Buddhist monastery complex carved entirely from the rock, about 2 km south of the town of Aybak in Samangan Province in northern Afghanistan. It dates from the 3rd to 4th century AD, when the area was part of the Kushano-Sasanian kingdom. The complex has five chambers cut into the rock, two of them sanctuaries, one with a domed ceiling finely decorated with lotus leaves. On a neighbouring hill stands a stupa carved from the same rock, with smaller caves around its base, in one of which a hoard of Ghaznavid coins was found by chance. After the arrival of Islam its purpose was forgotten, and people linked it to the tale of Rostam and Sohrab in the Shahnameh, saying Rostam stayed here as guest of the king of Samangan, which gave the site its name. At the top of the hill you see a small square building with an arched doorway standing on a carved block of rock, with a wide plain and mountains around it. In 2021 the Afghan government restored the site and built a hall for visitors. Aybak is about 2 km away in a straight line, and Mazar-i-Sharif about 97 km. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Afghanistan, and access may not be possible, so check official guidance before making any plans.
Carved on the hill.
A lotus-leaf ceiling.
Ringed by mountains.
South of Aybak, Samangan Province, Afghanistan
People linked it to Rostam's story in the Shahnameh after its Buddhist purpose was forgotten.
Usually yes, so bring a torch for the dark interior.