Termez

Being the sunniest and southern most part and one of the 12 provinces of Uzbekistan, Surkhandarya Province is located in the Surkhan-Sherobod Valley. It is considered to be a Southern Gate of our country. It borders on Afghanistan in the south, Tajikistan from north and east, Turkmenistan in the south-west and Kashkadarya province in the north-west. One of the most ancient civilizations, a cradle of a lot of religions and cultures present-day Surkhandarya Province is mentioned in historical references as a central and most important part of the vast region of Bactria. The history of it is more than 3700 years. It had been formed before the invasion of Iranian Ahamenids. In “Avesto” it`s also described as a beautiful land with “thousands of towns and villages”.

Termez as a center of Surkhandarya Province has its peculiar place in the formation of civilization of the Ancient East. According to the analysis of archaeological researches held in the fortress of Old Termez and written sources the town was founded in the middle of the 1mln B.C. Termez maintained cultural and trade relations with Sogdiana, Khorezm, Margiana and Parthia. According to the findings the town had intensive cultural and trade relations with India.

In the epoch of the ancient Kushan State formed in the 1^st century A.D. Termez becomes an important center of Nothern Bactria. Kushan rulers were very tolerant to other religions, and alongside with Zoroastrism, Hinduism and other religions Buddha worship was prospering here/ it is from here that many missionaries used to leave for Sogdiana in the north, for Margiana in the west, for China and Tibet, where they propagated Buddha`s teaching.

The discovery of site of ancient settlement of Dalverzintepa, which was situated in 60 kilometers from Termez, not far from Shurchi town, was the notable event in the history of the world culture. Dalverzintepa is a splendid archeological monument of Kushan Empire.

In the suburban area of Dalverzintepa the archeologists discovered the ruins of Buddhist sanctuary, built up here approximately in the 1^st century A.D., judging from the coins found at the site. There was the stupa, the room for playing and so called “king`s hall”, richly decorated with the sculptures representing religious and secular Buddhist and Hellenic images.

The remains of Buddhist monuments are being found up to the present day. During the last ten years Uzbek and Japanese scientists have been carrying out the joint investigations on the site of ancient settlement Koratepa. Recently, there have been found the dwellings of Buddhist monks. The Buddhist monastery with well-preserved stupa has been discovered not far from there.