[Buddha-l] Anatolian Buddhism 2

[Dan Lusthaus]

Some followup info, forwarded from a followup message on the Indo-European
list, with more details and an interesting link.

Dan Lusthaus

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08.10.2006
Dear colleague,
Yes, I just investigated this matter from some Turkish newspapers in
Internet, and send them as pdf. As I suppose this Buddhist temple or
monastery seems to be belonged to the Mongol period (Ilkhanids). This
information was published in a few national newspapers and announced by
the news agencies at that time (from the date 11.09.2006 on). The temple
is found in a cave in the rocks. The first investigator of the cave is
an academician from the Univ. of Gazi (Ankara), Doc. Dr. Mrs. Nakish
KARAMAGARALY who is a daughter of Prof.Mrs. Beyhan KARAMAGARALY, the
well-known Turkish specialist of Art History and the famous investigator
of the Akhlat tombs and grave-stones and also their epigraphy from 1965
year, she wrote a very beautiful book named "Ahlat Mezar Tashlari"
(Grave-stones in Akhlat). Most of these stones are belonged to the
Seljukid period and also Turkish tribes there from XIIth century on.
According to Dr. Nakish' statements this cave may be belonged to the
Mongol period because there is also another Buddhist temple there, in
the tomb (kunbed) of Bughatai-Aka who is a Mongol (in real Turkish and
maybe an Uighur!) emir in the late XIIIth century (d. 1281).And in both
places (one in the cave, and another in the tomb) there are the same
decorations and the images (Lotus etc.). She studies them as
iconographically now, because she says: "there are some 500 caves in
Akhlat and these caves were not studied up to now."
The point is that, there are some important motifs there: lotus,
paradise-bird, peafowl etc. And the interpretations go about these
motifs...: its Buddhist origin or well-known motifs in the other places
and cultures as well.
However, as you see in the pdf, there is also another interpretation
about this temple and motifs, for example, according to Dr. Mehmet
DEMIRTASH (from the Univ. of Yuzuncuyil in Van) this temple might be
belonged to the Yazidi Turks there! Yet his expression doesnt seem
realistic.
In the web site, http://www.haberturk.com/haber_ex.asp?id=245178&cat=110
there is a good video about the cave and temple, and Dr. Nakish's thoughts.
With the best wishes.
Mehmet TEZCAN