TAKHT-i- RUSTAM 5, Haibak Vihara (Cave at)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

A complex of man-made Buddhist rock chambers (note 1), excavated from limestone, consists of … a double gallery parallel to the cliff face, that is a long inner cave which is lighted from an equally long formal gallery in front of it, which in turn has lights giving on to the cliff-face. This is a vihara, a place of religious retreat and private meditation [(LEVI 1972 edited 1984, 2000: 98]. CAVE DESCRIPTION 2: MOORCROFT & TREBECK (1842, 2: 402- 403) describe an interior corridor, following the face of the wall, 132 feet long [40.2 m], by 16.5 broad [5.0 m], leads to another circular and vaulted chamber, of about 37 feet in diameter [11.3 m], but much blocked up by rubbish. The room was of a similar character with the first, but the style of decoration was widely different. CAVE DESCRIPTION 3: TALBOT (1886b: 345) reports from the foot of a neighbouring hill, some 300 yrads off, some half dozen more caves facing towards the Takht. CAVE DESCRIPTION 4: YATE (1888: 322) notes only a long ouble corridor. CAVE DESCRIPTION 5 (COON 1957a): A long series of galleries in which the monks had lived.