Fayaz-Tepa

Fayaz-Tepa, a complex of Buddhist temples.

The Fayaz-Tepa complex was discovered by L. I. Albaum in 1963, when the archaeologist was excavating a site near the Kara-tepe Buddhist temple in the centre of Old Termez. This complex features a wide diversity of paintings and numerous sculptures in a good state of preservation.

When observed from above, the temple complex has the form of a series of U-shaped corridors, cells and sanctuaries. There is a free-standing stupa of great scientific interest.

Fayaz-Tepa is one of the few Buddhist cultic monuments in Central Asia that features a valuable collection of ancient Buddhist paintings. The walls of the complex were covered with numerous versions of Buddha’s image. Importantly, the images of Buddha at Fayaz-Tepa dated back to the 1st century AD rank among the oldest extant images of this divinity. The Fayaz-Tepa sculptural compositions also deserve special mentioning. One of them is a sculpture depicting Buddha sitting under the sacred bodhi-tree, with two monks standing on his two sides. The composition is bordered by an arch resting on a pair of Corinthian columns. The sculpture was made of limestone and covered with gold. Today this sculptural composition is one of the most valuable items in the Museum of History of Uzbekistan. The site features an interesting museum. Currently, a lot of research, restoration and preservation work is actively being carried out at Fayaz-Tepa.

Fayaz-Tepa on map