The complex consisted of two main parts: a square hall known as the "Sanctuary" and a rectangular courtyard called the "Temple". Both rooms were united by a common façade facing the southeast and were decorated with painted clay sculptures and wall paintings.
Inside the "Sanctuary", statues were placed along the walls in special niches and on square platforms, which created an atmosphere of holiness and reverence. In front of the façade there was an aivan, which protected the artistic design of the entrance from external influences. Particularly noteworthy were the clay statues of horsemen, which added dynamism and grandeur to the overall appearance of the temple.
The courtyard in front of the "Sanctuary" was vast and served as a place for meetings and rituals. The entrance to the temple complex was located in the southeast, which created a longitudinal-axial composition similar to the Akbeshim Buddhist temple in Kyrgyzstan. This architectural form emphasized the importance of a centralized space for rituals.
Despite the destruction of the temple during the campaign of the Arab commander Qutayba ibn Muslim in 713, the surviving sculptures testify to the rich decoration of the Buddhist temple in Kuva. Multicolored sculpture and painting reflected the expressiveness of images and the solemnity of rituals, which helped attract new followers to Buddhism.
Interestingly, the Kuva sculpture indicates the existence of one of the branches of Buddhism, which differed significantly from the early forms of this teaching. This discovery emphasizes the diversity of Buddhist traditions and their adaptation to local cultural conditions.
You can learn more about this topic in the book-album "Collection of the State Museum of Arts of Uzbekistan".
The main sponsor of the project is the oilfield services company Eriell-Group.
