Tepe Maranjan

Maranjan Hill
تپه مرنجان
د مرانجان غونډۍ
The Stupa at Maranjan Hill in 1933
Maranjan Hill
Shown within Afghanistan
Maranjan Hill
Maranjan Hill (Hindu-Kush)
Maranjan Hill
Maranjan Hill (South Asia)
Maranjan Hill
Maranjan Hill (West and Central Asia)
Alternative nameTapa-e Maranjan
Coordinates34°31′04″N 69°12′30″E / 34.517801°N 69.208328°E / 34.517801; 69.208328
TypeMonastery

Maranjan Hill (Pashto: د مرانجان غونډۍ),[1] also known as Nadir Khan Hill,[2] Tapa-e Maranjan (Dari: تپه مرنجان), and Siyah Sang (Dari: سياه سنگ, "Blackstone"), is a large hill in the Kārte Naw area of Kabul, Afghanistan. It is near Chaman-e-Hozori and the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium. As the resting place of former Afghan kings Nadir Shah and Zahir Shah,[3] including a number of their family members,[4][5] Maranjan Hill is one of the city's major tourist attractions. The Sirajuddin Haqqani Mosque was recently built on the northern end of the hill,[6] along with a park.[7]

Buddhist monastery

Further information: Archaeology of Afghanistan

Tepe Maranjan was the site of a Buddhist monastery that appears to have been founded in the 4th century,[8] the 6–7th century of Buddhism in Afghanistan.[9] It lies east of the tomb of Nadir Shah and north of the Kabul–Jalalabad Road.

The site was excavated by the French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan under Jean Carl in 1933, again by Gérard Fussman in 1976, and again by Zemaryalai Tarzi of the Afghan Institute of Archaeology more recently.[10] Many Buddhist sculptures were discovered on the site. They are made of clay and represent a style intermediate between the sculptures of Hadda and those of the Fondukistan monastery.[8] Tepe Maranjan can be considered as generally representative of the art of Gandhara of the 5th or 6th century.[8]

A large hoard of Sasanian coins was also discovered at Tepe Maranjan: 367 Sassanian silver drachms from the reigns of kings Shapur II (r. 309–79) and Ardashir II (r. 379–83), which, owing to their uniformity, are thought to have been minted in the vicinity of Kabul.[11] The hoard also contained 12 scyphate gold dinars of the Kidarites, which might have circulated at the same time as the Sassanian coins, or may have been added later.[11]

Mausoleums and graves

The following is a list of people buried on Maranjan Hill.

  • Seated Buddha at Tepe Maranjan
  • Kneeling Buddhist donors at Tepe Maranjan
  • Tepe Maranjan Bodhisattva head
  • Tepe Maranjan seated Bodhisattva
  • Coin in the name of Kidara I, with legend "βαγο Κιδαρο οοζορκο κοþανοþαο" "Kidara, the great Kushanshah", of the type found in Tepe Maranjan (Type 6A-D), dated to before 388 CE.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Recreation Area to be Made on Kabul's Maranjan Hill". TOLOnews. 6 August 2024. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  2. ^ "Reconstruction of 3 historic sites in Kabul to begin soon: MoIC". Pajhwok Afghan News. March 18, 2026. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
  3. ^ "Legacy of a King: 17th Anniversary of Mohammad Zahir Shah's Death". TOLOnews. 23 July 2024. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  4. ^ "Tombstones Stolen, Graves Looted, on Nader Khan Hill". TOLOnews. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
  5. ^ "Former King Zahir Shah's daughter buried in Maranjan Hill". Pajhwok Afghan News. 26 December 2021. Retrieved 2026-01-08.
  6. ^ تکمیل کار زیباترین مسجد و پارک در تپه نادرخان، گزارش فرشته عظیمی on YouTube
  7. ^ کابل کې نوي پارک او واورې موسم / پارک جديد کابل on YouTube
  8. ^ a b c Dani, Ahmad Hasan; Harmatta, János (1999). History of Civilizations of Central Asia. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 360. ISBN 978-81-208-1408-0.
  9. ^ Kuwayama, Shoshin (1991). "The Horizon of Begram III and Beyond A Chronological Interpretation of the Evidence for Monuments in the Kāpiśī-Kabul-Ghazni Region". East and West. 41 (1/4): 100 (22). ISSN 0012-8376. JSTOR 29756971.
  10. ^ Francine, Tissot (31 December 2006). Catalogue of the National Museum of Afghanistan, 1931-1985. UNESCO Publishing. p. 343. ISBN 978-92-3-104030-6.
  11. ^ a b ALRAM, MICHAEL (2014). "From the Sasanians to the Huns New Numismatic Evidence from the Hindu Kush". The Numismatic Chronicle. 174: 261–291. ISSN 0078-2696. JSTOR 44710198.
  12. ^ Bakker, Hans T. (2017). The Huns in Central and South Asia. How Two Centuries of War against Nomadic Invaders from the Steps are Concluded by a Game of Chess between the Kings of India and Iran.
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