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

سمنگان‎ (ولسوالی آیبک - AF)
36.245800,68.021700
Grottocenter / carte

Description

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.

Documents

Bibliography 06/01/2018
  • Coon, Carlton Stevens 1957a, 1957b; Levi, Peter 1972 edited 1984, 2000, 2002; Mizuno, Seiichi 1963; Moorcroft, William & Trebeck, George 1842; Yate, Charles Edward 1888.

History

EXPLORATION HISTORY: 1882.09.06: William S. Moorcroft and friends visited, explored, and took measurements (MOORCROFT & TREBECK 1842, 2: 402- 403). 1885, November - December: M.G. TALBOT (1886b: 344-347, plate 9), writing on 2nd March 1886, explored. 1954.04.05: Carlton Stevens COON (1957a, 1957b) and Mrs. (Elizabeth 'Lisa' K. Ralph), Henry 'Hank' W. Coulter jr., and Mohammed Nader Saweri Khan visited. 1970: Peter LEVI (1972 edited 1984, 2000: 86, 2002) in company with Bruce Chatwin, visited. Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

Caves nearby

Distance (km)NameLength (m)Depth (m)
0.0TAKHT-i- RUSTAM 5, Haibak Vihara (Cave at)
0.0TAKHT-i- RUSTAM 1: tunnelcave 1 (Cave at)
0.0TAKHT-i- RUSTAM 3: monolithic house (Cave at)
0.0TAKHT-i- RUSTAM 4: rock chambers (Caves at)
0.0TAKHT-i- RUSTAM 1: tunnelcave 2 (Cave at)
2.0HAIBAK ROCK CHAMBER
5.5KAFTAR KHANA, Haibak
14.0KOKJAR (Cave at)
20.0Hazarsum, Haibak