Surkh Kotal

Surkh Kotal 

a hill in northern Afghanistan with the remains of a temple complex dating from the second and third centuries; situated 15 km south of Pul-i-Khumri. The complex, discovered in 1951, consists of three fire-cult temples at the top of the hill, a sacred well at the foot of the hill, and a monumental stairway leading from the well to the temples. The main temple, enclosed by a wall with towers and a colonnade, was dedicated to the Kushan king Kanishka.

The complex is especially notable because it was used for both the fire cult and the cult of the dynasties of Kushan kings. The finds include fragments of statues, as well as architectural components and a lengthy Bactrian-language inscription written in the Greek alphabet. Architecturally, the temples blend Greek ornamentation with local Kushan construction and layout.

REFERENCE

Masson, V. M., and V. A. Romodin. Istoriia Afganistana, vol. 1. Moscow, 1964. Pages 190–96. (Contains bibliography.)