Butkara Stupa

The Butkara Stupa (Pashto: بت کړه سټوپا) is an important Buddhist stupa near Mingora, in the area of Swat, Pakistan. It may have been built by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, but it is generally dated slightly later to the 2nd century BCE. The stupa was enlarged on five occasions during the following centuries, every time by building over, and encapsulating, the previous structure. The stupa was excavated by an Italian mission (IsIOAO: Istituto Italiano per l'Africa e l'Oriente), led by archaeologist Domenico Faccenna from 1956, to clarify the various steps of the construction and enlargements. The mission established that the stupa was "monumentalized" by the addition of Hellenistic architectural decorations during the 2nd century BCE, suggesting a direct involvement of the Indo-Greeks, rulers of northwestern India during that period, in the development of Greco-Buddhist architecture. An Indo-Corinthian capital representing a Buddhist devotee within foliage has been found which had a reliquary and a coin of Azes II buried at its base, securely dating the sculpture to earlier than 20 BCE. The nearby Hellenistic fortifications of Barikot are also thought to be contemporary. A large quantity of the artifacts are preserved in the National Museum of Oriental Art and the City Museum of Ancient Oriental Art in Turin (M.A.O.). File:Buthkara-1 A broad view.JPG|Ruins of Butkara I. File:Scythian devotee Butkara I.jpg|[[Indo-Scythian]] devotee, Butkara I. File:Capitello corinzio con busti di devoti clarified - Butkara I (Swat).jpg|[[Indo-Corinthian capital]] representing a Buddhist devotee wearing a Greek cloak ([[chlamys]]) with [[fibulae|fibula]]. Butkara Stupa, [[National Museum of Oriental Art]], [[Rome]]. File:PilarImage4.jpg|The [[Indo-Corinthian capital]] from Butkara Stupa under which a coin of [[Azes II]] was found. Dated to 20 BCE or earlier ([[Turin City Museum of Ancient Art]]). The oldest core strata (GSt 1) revealed a coin of Chandragupta Maurya and is therefore dated to the Ashokan period.