Bezeklik Caves

cave in People's Republic of China

The Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves (Chinese: 柏孜克里千佛洞; pinyin: Bózīkèlǐ Qiānfódòng, Uyghur: ېىزەكلىك مىڭ ئۆيى ) are small Buddhist caves. They are between the cities of Turpan and Shanshan (Loulan) at the north-east of the Taklamakan Desert. They are near the ancient ruins of Gaochang in the Mutou Valley, in the Xinjiang region of western China.

Bezeklik Caves
Bezeklik caves
Map showing the location of Bezeklik Caves
Map showing the location of Bezeklik Caves
Location of Bezeklik Caves in China
Map showing the location of Bezeklik Caves
Map showing the location of Bezeklik Caves
Bezeklik Caves (China)
Coordinates42°57′21″N 89°32′22″E / 42.95583°N 89.53944°E / 42.95583; 89.53944

Bezeklik murals

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Praṇidhi scene, temple 9 (Cave 20)

There are 77 rock-cut caves at the site. Most of them have rectangular spaces with rounded arch ceilings. These are often divided into four sections. Each of these four sections has a mural of the Buddha. The entire ceiling is covered with hundreds of Buddha murals. Some murals show a large Buddha with other figures, including Turks, Indians and Europeans. Some of the murals are a better quality than others.[1]


References

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  1. "Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Caves". showcaves.com. Archived from the original on 2018-05-03. Retrieved 2007-09-21.