Project for the Preservation of the Buddhist Monastery of Ajina Tepa in Tajikistan

A part of the north wall made of mud brick
North wall where plaster that had changed color due to burning was found

 From April 12 to May 18, the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation sent the second mission team for the Project for the Preservation of the Buddhist Monastery of Ajina Tepa which is funded by the UNESCO/Japanese Funds-in-Trust.
 Ajina Tepa is a Buddhist temple of the 7th to 8th centuries where a large stupa and a huge statue of Parinirvana Buddha (12.8m in length when reproduced) have been excavated. The purpose of this project is to conserve a Buddhist temple that has been constructed using mud bricks or pakhsa (pisé). In cooperation with young Tajik archaeologists, the Center is engaged in the archaeological cleaning of the site, including removal of spoil and grasses that have accumulated after past excavations, in order to elucidate the location and structure of the walls and floor of the original Buddhist temple.
 As a result of this investigation, it was found that the walls of the temple were constructed with mud bricks and pakhsa blocks although some walls had been built only with mud bricks. Moreover, what are believed to be fragments of mural paintings and polychrome statues were excavated in the process of finding out about the floor of the temple.
 Joint work with young local archaeologists is a very stimulating experience to us and we hope to be able to contribute to the training of local experts.

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