There is a building in Barikot Tehsil, 25 km from Mingora,
the capital of Swat District, Pakistan, which was built in the 2nd century.
It is the only oldest
building of its kind in all of South Asia, still standing in its original form
almost eighteen hundred years later.
Archaeologists consider Barikot to be one of the most important sites in
the Gandhara civilization. Eighteen
hundred year old artifacts are found in a village called Balu in Kandap Valley
of Barikot.
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The ruins of Balu
village also include a two-storey building which Buddhists call Vihara. This historic site was discovered by
archaeologist Sir Earl Stein. Shortly after
its discovery, it was excavated in about 1938, and better arrangements have now
been made to preserve it.
But it is also a
bitter truth of the past that for almost a hundred years this historic site has
been the target of various smugglers and looters. It is also called the Double Dome Structure
because of the dome upon dome. After the
Buddhist era, the Hindu royal period in Swat also passed on this monastery,
which is why this place is considered sacred to Hindus. Then at the same place the time of the
Muslims has finally passed.
1800 Years Old Double Dome Gumbat/Vihara Stupa in Swat
.jpg "1800 years old Swat Vihara")
https://www.dawn.com/news/1664783
A closer look at the pages of history reveals that at one
time a large number of Buddhists lived here.
The population has declined over time, but it is fortunate for the
people of Swat that the 1800-year-old Vihara still exists in its original
form. The Italian Archaeological Mission
has contributed to the restoration of the monastery. This historic building is located on a hill.
.jpg "1800 years old Swat Vihara")
Fifty percent of the
way to reach it is paved through the village streets. The remaining fifty percent is made up of
rocky mountain chests. Arriving here,
one finds out how beautiful Vihara is.
There is a small room in the yard which has a paved walkway. The path starts from the arch-like door and
ends around the other arch-like path around the room. This arched archway is a masterpiece of
engineering in the sense that even in extreme heat, it has an atmosphere that
resembles an air-conditioned room. Rectangular
holes have been made in three different places for ventilation in the roofed
path which would not be out of place if it was called a skylight instead of a
window.
1800 Years Old Double Dome Gumbat/Vihara Stupa in Swat
.jpg "1800 years old Swat Vihara")
The size of these
skylight-like holes gradually increases as they come in from the outside. Three such rectangular holes have been made
for fresh air in the living room as well.
Since Vihara is located at an altitude, fresh air blows here all the
time. Similar holes have been made for
air in the dome above the veranda.
.jpg "1800 years old Swat Vihara")
http://aliusmanbaig.blogspot.com/2019/06/the-double-domed-shrine-of-gumbat-balo.html
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