Mes Aynak: Afghanistan's Ancient Buddhist Site Threatened by Copper Mining (2025 Updates)

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  In the rugged mountains of Logar Province, just 40 kilometers southeast of Kabul, lies Mes Aynak – one of Afghanistan's most significant ancient Buddhist sites. Often called a "little copper spring" in Pashto, this sprawling archaeological treasure was once a thriving Buddhist monastery complex along the Silk Road. Dating back over 2,000 years to the Kushan Empire, Mes Aynak features massive stupas, intricate Buddha statues, and evidence of early copper mining intertwined with monastic life. But in 2025, this ancient Buddhist heritage site in Afghanistan faces an ongoing threat from one of the world's largest untapped copper deposits below it. In this detailed guide, we'll explore the history of Mes Aynak Buddhist site, its breathtaking discoveries, and the latest developments in the battle to save it. Aerial view of Mes Aynak ancient Buddhist ruins in Afghanistan, showing the vast monastery complex amid mountains. Location and Historical Significance of ...
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Heavy rain reduces thotlakonda Buddhist stupa

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Thotlakonda buddhist stupa:
The telugu name thotlakonda derived from the presence of a number of rock- cut cisterns hewn into the bedrock of the hillock.thotlakonda was influence of ancient kalinga,the important source of Buddhism to srilanka.It is located in Visakhapatnam district of andhra Pradesh. Many archaeologists and historians have been shocked by sudden collapse of restored 2200 year old Buddhist stupa at a monastery in India.some part of This monument is half collapsed due to heavy rain.
Originally it is about 16 km from the bustling city of Visakhapatnam in andhra Pradesh. This monastery was identified in 1970 by aerial survey. This stupa is about 420 feet above the sea level. When the monument was first built it was done painstakingly slowly to allow each layer of brick to set harden.
Thotlakonda came into existence along with nearby sites in Visakhapatnam like bavikonda and pavurallakonda. thotlakonda might have more than 100 bhikkhus.
 Thotlakonda's peak activity was between the 2nd century BCE and the 2nd century CE owing to roman trade and religious missions sent abroad. This complex was set up for storing food, clothes, medicine and served academic center. Mainly nikaya Buddhism appears to have been practiced. Thotlakonda had declined by the end of the 3rd century

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