All  

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ Mobile

Stupa

The coins found at he coins date from the period of the Kushan Empire, which ruled the region from about the second century BC until about the third century AD  Source: Sheikh Javed Ali Sindhi

2,000-Year-Old Coin Hoard Unearthed at Buddhist Stupa at Mohenjo-Daro!

A recent archaeological discovery in Pakistan has unveiled an unbelievable hoard of copper coins, believed to be over 2,000 years old, within the ruins of a Buddhist stupa (shrine) at the ancient...
Somapura Mahavihara, is among the best-known Buddhist viharas on the Indian subcontinent and is one of the most important archaeological sites in Bangladesh. Source: Abdulmominbd / CC BY-SA 4.0

Somapura Mahavihara, Bangladesh: A Rediscovered Buddhist Center

Somapura Mahavihara was a well-known Buddhist monastery complex located in Paharpur, in north-western Bangladesh. The monastery was established during the 8th century AD and flourished as an...
The Kesaria stupa in India. Source: charnsitr / Adobe Stock

Kesaria Stupa: Ancient Site Commemorating the Alms Bowl of the Buddha

Just 68 miles (110 km) from Patna, in India’s eastern Bihar province, the Kesaria stupa lies in the landscape partially hidden amongst vegetation. The original Kesaria stupa is believed to date back...
Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara Tempel in Colombo         Source: hecke71 / Adobe Stock

A 2,500-year-old Site Blessed by Buddha - Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara

Sri Lanka, a beautiful country renowned for its beaches, is also a historic country with many Buddhist sites. Among the most important temples in the largely Buddhist country is Kelaniya Raja Maha...
Ajina-Tepa remain in Tajikistan                     Source: Aleksandar/ Adobe Stock

Ajina-Tepa, Tajikistan – Abandoned Buddhist Cloister on the Famous Silk Road

Although Central Asia is no longer inundated by tourists, in the past it was a dynamic and diverse area, largely thanks to the Silk Road . One of the many remarkable sites in this region is the...
Kuruhinna Tharaagandu, Maldives’ Forgotten Buddhist Past

Kuruhinna Tharaagandu, Maldives’ Forgotten Buddhist Past

The Maldives is a tropical paradise that attracts visitors from all over the world. There is, however, more to the beautiful island nation than pristine beaches and an abundance of sunshine. It has a...
A Buddhist stupa at Thotlakonda Buddhist Monastery

Heavy Rain Reduces Indian Buddhist Stupa to Rubble

In India, archaeologists and historians have been shocked by the sudden collapse of a restored 2200-year-old Buddhist stupa at a monastery in India. The monument half-collapsed after a prolonged...
Ancient Buddhist text discovered near Mes Aynak, Afghanistan

Rare Ancient Buddhist Text Discovered In Doomed Temple Super-Complex Near Kabul

Archaeologists in Afghanistan have discovered exceptionally rare pieces of an ancient Buddhist manuscript dated to around the seventh century AD at an ancient settlement near Kabul. In the spring of...
Bojjannakonda Buddha

Bojjannakonda, India: The Hill of the Buddha Where Kings and Nobles Donated Countless Treasures

Buddhism is one of the most well-known spiritual traditions in India and its long history in the country has resulted in many spectacular and significant Buddhist sites and ruins. These include...
Somapura Mahavihara in Bangladesh.

Somapura Mahavihara: The Most Spectacular Pre-Islamic Monument in Bangladesh

Somapura Mahavihara is an 8th century Buddhist monastery and an important archaeological site located in Paharpur, Bangladesh. It is one of the five great mahaviharas, (meaning great vihara or large...
22 Ancient Gold Plates Inscribed with Names of Gods Unearthed in Stone Box in Java

22 Ancient Gold Plates Inscribed with Names of Gods Unearthed in Stone Box in Java

Twenty-two small gold plates with divine symbols and characters have been unearthed in central Java, a large island in the Indonesian archipelago. When archaeologists went to investigate, they found...
Mini Golden Coffin Found in Crypt May Hold Skull Bone of Buddha

Mini Golden Coffin Found in Crypt May Hold Skull Bone of Buddha

When archaeologists were excavating the Grand Bao’en Temple of Nanjing, China in 2008 they came across a significant find – a relic linked to Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. The artifact was a skull bone...
Kanheri Caves, Mumbai

Shelters from the Storm: More Ancient Buddhist Caves Found in Mumbai

Seven caves that served as shelters from monsoons for Buddhist monks more than 2,000 years ago (and even into the 1990s) have been discovered in the forests of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in...
The spectacular architecture of Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Tracing Indo-Cambodian relations through Magnificent Stupa Architecture - Part 2

Over the centuries, there was a great influence of art, culture, literature, and architecture from India to Cambodia. But after a certain time, when Cambodia and India become the cultural, religious...
Stupa in Asia

Tracing Indo-Cambodian relations through Magnificent Stupa Architecture

Southeast Asia was under Indian influence from around the 3 rd century BC until the 15th century AD, when Hindu - Buddhist influence was absorbed by local politics. India had established trade,...
The Patan Durbar Square, one of four plazas that remain that were home to the Nepalese royal family, before and after the earthquake.

Nepal Tragedy: Devastating Loss of Human Life and Ancient Heritage

At least 4,000 people have been killed and more than 100,000 left homeless in the worst earthquake to have hit Nepal in more than 80 years. Along with the ever growing loss of life, the disaster has...
Buddha statue at Borobudur.

Large, Rare Statue Portraying the Death of Buddha Unearthed at Ancient Bahmala Stupa Site

Two rare and ancient Buddha statues have been unearthed at the Bhamala Stupa site in Pakistan. The largest ever statue found at the site depicts the death of ancient sage Buddha. A second statue...
Buddhist Temple of Borobudur

The magnificent ancient Buddhist Temple of Borobudur

Indonesia is the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. Prior to the coming of Islam, however, this archipelago was dominated by Hinduism and Buddhism. One of the most iconic...