Fondukistan monastery

The Fondukistan monastery was a Buddhist monastery located at the very top of a conical hill next to the Ghorband Valley, Parwan Province, about 50 kilometers northwest of Kabul. The monastery dates to the early 8th century CE, with a terminus post quem in 689 CE obtained through numismatic evidence, so that the Buddhist art of the site has been estimated to around 700 CE. This is the only secure date for this artistic period in the Hindu Kush, and it serves as an important chronological reference point.

Characteristics

According to Benjamin Rowland "These little shrines, densely packed with sculptured figures set off by gaily painted backgrounds, must have given the effect of a kind of religious peep-show, in which, as on a stage, the visitor obtained a glimpse of celestial realms".

The works of art of the Fondukistan Monastery corresponds to a relatively high level of artistic activity in the areas controlled by the Buddhist Turk Shahis during 7-8th centuries CE, as a result of the continued development of Buddhist art, with possible Hephthalite influence, combined with the Sasanian cultural heritage. The art of Fondukistan also corresponds to the last stages of Greco-Buddhist art in the 7-8th century CE.

During this period, the Chinese Tang Empire extended its influence and promotion of Buddhism to the Kingdoms of Central Asia, including Afghanistan, with a corresponding influx of Chinese monks, while there was conversely a migration of Indian monks from India to Central Asia, precisely looking for this protection. These events gave rise to the hybrid Indian-Sinicized styles of Fondukistan and Tapa Sardar. Similarities have also been noted with contemporary works of art in China, such as those of Tianlongshan.

Discovery

Charles Masson visited the area of the Ghorband Valley in 1836 and mentioned the presence of numerous ruins in his book Narratives of various journeys in Afghanistan, Baluchistan & the Punjab.

The monastery was excavated in 1936 by Joseph Hackin of the Délégation archéologique française en Afghanistan, and in 1937 by Jean Carl, from the same organization. Most of the works of art that were recovered were shared between the Musée Guimet, Paris, and the National Museum of Afghanistan, where many did not survive the depredations of the recent decades.