Barikot
Encyclopedia
Barikot is a town in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan
, located in the Swat
valley region (ancient Udyana). Barikot is the present day name of the ancient "Bazira", which was besieged by Alexander the Great.
Ancient fortifications by the name of Barikot-Ghwandai, located on the outskirts of the town, are being excavated by an Italian Archaeological mission since 1984.
The oldest layer built of bricks and stone probably corresponds to the fortress besieged by Alexander. However, no traces of the Macedonian occupation have been found yet.
The sequent layers consist of fortifications built by the Indo-Greek kings. A stone wall in Hellenistic style was built around the city, with equidistant quadrangular bastions, all according to Attic
measurements. Ruins of palatial quarters as well as areas related to the Buddhist cult have been unearthed
During the Kushan period, Barikot experienced rapid development with the creation of building dedicated to workmanship.
Barikot has become a very important archaeological site, rivaling Taxila
, for the study of history in northern Pakistan. A large quantity of the artefacts are preserved in the National Museum of Oriental Art
of Rome
, and the MAO
in Turin
.
The nearby sanctuary of Butkara I
has been very valuable in the study of the development of Greco-Buddhist art
.
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, located in the Swat
Swat (Pakistan)
Swat is a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located close to the Afghan-Pakistan border. It is the upper valley of the Swat River, which rises in the Hindu Kush range. The capital of Swat is Saidu Sharif, but the main town in the Swat valley is Mingora...
valley region (ancient Udyana). Barikot is the present day name of the ancient "Bazira", which was besieged by Alexander the Great.
Ancient fortifications by the name of Barikot-Ghwandai, located on the outskirts of the town, are being excavated by an Italian Archaeological mission since 1984.
The oldest layer built of bricks and stone probably corresponds to the fortress besieged by Alexander. However, no traces of the Macedonian occupation have been found yet.
The sequent layers consist of fortifications built by the Indo-Greek kings. A stone wall in Hellenistic style was built around the city, with equidistant quadrangular bastions, all according to Attic
Attic
An attic is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building . Attic is generally the American/Canadian reference to it...
measurements. Ruins of palatial quarters as well as areas related to the Buddhist cult have been unearthed
During the Kushan period, Barikot experienced rapid development with the creation of building dedicated to workmanship.
Barikot has become a very important archaeological site, rivaling Taxila
Taxila
Taxila is a Tehsil in the Rawalpindi District of Punjab province of Pakistan. It is an important archaeological site.Taxila is situated about northwest of Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi in Panjab; just off the Grand Trunk Road...
, for the study of history in northern Pakistan. A large quantity of the artefacts are preserved in the National Museum of Oriental Art
National Museum of Oriental Art
The National Museum of Oriental Art is an important museum in Rome, Italy, dedicated to the arts of the Orient, from the Middle East to Japan....
of Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, and the MAO
Museum of Oriental Art (Turin)
The Museum of Oriental Art is a museum located in Palazzo Mazzonis in the city of Turin, Italy.The museum contains one of the most important asian art collection in Italy.- History :...
in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
.
The nearby sanctuary of Butkara I
Butkara Stupa
The Butkara Stupa is an important Buddhist stupa in the area of Swat, Pakistan. It may have been originally built by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, but it is generally dated slightly later to the 2nd century BCE....
has been very valuable in the study of the development of Greco-Buddhist art
Greco-Buddhist art
Greco-Buddhist art is the artistic manifestation of Greco-Buddhism, a cultural syncretism between the Classical Greek culture and Buddhism, which developed over a period of close to 1000 years in Central Asia, between the conquests of Alexander the Great in the 4th century BCE, and the Islamic...
.