On the Religion of the Nawbahar Temple in Balkh

DOI 10.52773/tsuull.uzlc.2020.1/PMXO9021

Abstract

There is different information about character of a cult in the Nawbahar temple in Balkh in medieval sources. According to some sources, this
temple was a temple of fire worshipers or Zoroastrians, according to other
sources – it was a temple of idolaters. The Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsiang,
who visited Balkh circa 630 AD called the main temple of Balkh “nava sangharama”, i.e. “new Buddhist monastery”. In my opinion, Nawbahar temple
was a place of worship of different religious communities throughout the
different periods of history. Initially, (in the beginning of the I millennium
BC) this temple was dedicated to the cult of the Moon, then, in the Kushan
period, it was converted into a Buddhist temple. During the Sasanids (in
the 6th century AD) the Nawbahar became a Zoroastrian temple, and in
the 7th centuries the Turks converted it again to a Buddhist shrine. In the
last period (7th – 8th centuries) this temple also was place of worship of
the Manichaeans.