Takht-e Rostam (Cave at) [Rudaba's Apartment Cave]

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A man-made rock chamber (-cave temple-) associated with Rudaba, the consort of Rustam, lies a few hundred metres (MOORCROFT 1842, 2: 402) north (YATE 1888: 322) of –>Takht-i- Rustam no.1 (west of Haibak). CAVE DESCRIPTION 1 (MOORCROFT & TREBECK 1842, 2: 402- 403): … the apartment of Rudaba consisted of a square vestibule, and a circular chamber with a cupola ceiling: the former was now open at the top, but appeared to have had a roof formerly : the latter was thirty-two feet in diameter [9.8 m], and twenty-six feet high [7.9 m], with an opening in the roof, at the part farthest from the entrance, to admit light and let out smoke. In the centre of the dome was a large medallion, much defaced, but from the circumference of it were distinctly seen large leaves like those of the calyx of the lotus … CAVE DESCRIPTION 2 (YATE 1888: 322) notes only a large domed vault. CAVE DESCRIPTION 3 (COON 1957a): At the foot of the mountain [–>Takht-i- Rustam] was a lamasery, also carved from solid rock consisting of a domed lotus room with painted designs still visible … CAVE DESCRIPTION 4 (LEVI 1972 edited 1984, 2000: 99) observed a large dome hollowed upwards into the mass of the cliff, and perfectly carved into the spreading petals and central sunburst of a huge flowering lotus (This astonishing lotus dome must certainly have been painted. The petals overlap like fish-scales, a technique of carving found also in the decoration of Hellenistic marble roof-tiles)… It housed an elderly donkey who coughed with fearful effect in the darkness.