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Story in stone
On the crossroads of civilisations between
east and west, one from India which became north west of Mauryan empire and
western Asia through Bacrtia, and the third from Central Asia. Fertile land,
a strategic position and the presence of water are all factors which
encourage people to camp and form permanent settlements. It was from here
that Buddhism spread to Kashmir and Tibet during Ashoka's time.
Facts F
History
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Diary F
People
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 The
history of Taxila spans over 1000 years (518 B.C. to 600 A.D). It was
the most flourishing of all the cities between the Indus and Jhelum
Rivers. Darius I formed it part of Achaemenid Empire of Persia. In 326
B.C. came a young man came from Macedonia, a prince taught by the
philosopher Aristotle, Alexander the Great. His armies never encountered
elephants in battle before. The battle against Porus was his most
brilliant one though the last of his great victories. Alexander went as
far as Beas River in the east, but his dreams of conquering India were
thwarted by the rebellion of his battle troops who refused to go on
because of the long harduous journey back to their homeland. Alexander
retreated to Babylon where he felt ill probably poisoned. His campaigns
in Persia and India changed the whole history of Asia. The efforts of
Greek invasion where manifold. New trade routes were opened, sea and the
land communications developed. The art of sculpturing discovered a new
form and influenced the Buddha scultures of the time. In realm of
knowledge the Greek philosophy and medicine had their mark on the Indian
Thinking. |
[24 Aug.ensoleillé Besham-Taxila-Islamabad bus 250km]
Sirkap, Dharmarajika, temple Jaulian
et musée. A Sirkap, les enfants au stylo-à-bille m'obligent à
aller discutailler avec leur parents, expliquer en geste que le cadeau
était destiné aux deux. Rire du père, gène de la mère... Au musée,
visite de Topfer.
Les réfugiés afghans quémandent, on
les comprend. Les sourires inoubliables de ces gipsy de l'est que les
Pakistanais font semblant de ne pas voir... Le pire est à venir...
 Plus tard, au café Internet, une
demoiselle à ma droite en surper-burka, de pied en cape. Glup!
Rien de tel qu'une bière fraiche pour se changer les idées. Hotel Marriot? No
bier! Hotel Pamir à coté? Non plus! Disco "The Basement"? Encore moins,
pire seuls les couples peuvent rentrer. Ambiance. Reviendrais-je un jour
dans ces parages? |
Views F
Landscape
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Orientation F
Maps
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 Check
out the photo album of Sirkap,
Dharmarajika and the Jaulian temple.
The city was enclosed by a stone-built wall and was build
of solid, coursed stone rubble. The city wall ran five km round the city
and about six meters thic and had the same height. In accordance with
the Hellenistic principles of defense, the defense wall included within
its perimeters a considerable area of hilly ground and well-laid out
city on the Greek chess-board pattern and an 'acropolis' on a
flat-topped hill. Archaeological excavations have revealed the remains
of some of the most spectacular builldings, both religious and secular. |
 This
map shows the route Alexander's conquests: the King's route covered over
25.000 kilometers in all, from Macedonia to what is now Pakistan, and
back as far as Babylon. His conquests created a vast empire that
stretched from Egypt to India.
 The
ancient Takshasila became the site of three separate ruined cities:
- Bhir
Mound (6th-2nd cent. B.C.)
- Sirkap (2nd cent. B.C. - 2nd cent.
A.D.)
- Sirsukh (2nd-5th cent. A.D.) |
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