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<< Other Photo Pages >> Gonur Tepe - Ancient Village or Settlement in Turkmenistan

Submitted by davidmorgan on Friday, 26 April 2013  Page Views: 7341

Multi-periodSite Name: Gonur Tepe Alternative Name: Gonur Depe
Country: Turkmenistan
NOTE: This site is 120.969 km away from the location you searched for.

Type: Ancient Village or Settlement
Nearest Town: Mary
Latitude: 38.213721N  Longitude: 62.037903E
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
no data Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
no data Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
no data Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
4
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Gonur Tepe
Gonur Tepe submitted by Andy B : Inside the complex Image Credit: Susy's Travels (Vote or comment on this photo)
Over four millennia ago, the fortress town of Gonur-Tepe might have been a rare advanced civilisation before it was buried for centuries under the dust of the Kara Kum desert in remote western Turkmenistan. After being uncovered by Soviet archaeologists in the last century, Gonur-Tepe, once home to thousands of people and the centre of a thriving region, is gradually revealing its mysteries with new artifacts being uncovered on every summer dig.

The scale of the huge complex which spans some 30 hectares can only be properly appreciated from the air, from where the former buildings look like a maze in the desert surrounded by vast walls. Just 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the celebrated ancient city of Merv outside the modern city of Mary, the ruins of Gonur-Tepe are an indication of the archeological riches of Turkmenistan, one of the most isolated countries in the world. Around 2,000 BC, Gonur-Tepe was the main settlement of the Margush or Margiana region that was home to one of the most sophisticated, but little-known Bronze Age civilisations.

Read more at Art Daily and Discover magazine. More pictures at Susy's Travels.
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Nearby Images from Flickr
20190502_095411
20190502_095753
20190502_095930
20190502_100036
20190502_100209
20190502_102549(0)

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 62.1km SSE 168° Merv, Turkmenistan* Ancient Village or Settlement
 268.9km NE 49° Bukhara Ark* Ancient Village or Settlement
 371.2km ESE 116° Tillia tepe Artificial Mound
 383.8km NE 50° Kara-Karga* Rock Art
 401.5km N 349° Koi Krylgan Kala Ancient Temple
 447.3km E 100° Kampirtepa Ancient Village or Settlement
 491.0km ENE 71° Sarazm Ancient Village or Settlement
 509.1km E 90° Dalverzin Tepe Ancient Village or Settlement
 639.3km SE 124° Buddhas of Bamiyan* Sculptured Stone
 658.7km E 98° Ai-Khanoum Ancient Village or Settlement
 701.6km N 9° Magazine Hill Artificial Mound
 768.7km SSE 155° Mundigak Ancient Village or Settlement
 781.7km ESE 121° Mes Aynak Ancient Temple
 790.8km W 260° Gohar Tepe* Ancient Village or Settlement
 843.1km S 184° Burnt City Ancient Temple
 904.1km ESE 104° Chitral Graves Ancient Village or Settlement
 935.5km ENE 71° The Heavenly Horses Rock Art
 989.4km ESE 113° Takht-e-Bhai* Ancient Temple
 993.0km ESE 110° Shingardar Stupa Ancient Temple
 993.2km ESE 110° Ghalegay Caves Cave or Rock Shelter
 993.2km ESE 110° Swat Buddha Sculptured Stone
 1021.1km WSW 257° Arastu Tepe Ancient Village or Settlement
 1023.2km ESE 112° Asota (Kalula) circle* Stone Circle
 1042.7km WNW 288° Dubendi Cave* Cave or Rock Shelter
 1044.6km WNW 287° Türkan Cart Ruts Ancient Trackway
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"Gonur Tepe" | Login/Create an Account | 2 News and Comments
  
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Ancient mysteries revealed in Turkmen desert sands by davidmorgan on Saturday, 13 April 2013
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Submitted by jackdaw1:

Over four millennia ago, the fortress town of Gonur-Tepe might have been a rare advanced civilisation before it was buried for centuries under the dust of the Kara Kum desert in remote western Turkmenistan. After being uncovered by Soviet archaeologists in the last century, Gonur-Tepe, once home to thousands of people and the centre of a thriving region, is gradually revealing its mysteries with new artifacts being uncovered on every summer dig.

The scale of the huge complex which spans some 30 hectares can only be properly appreciated from the air, from where the former buildings look like a maze in the desert surrounded by vast walls. Just 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the celebrated ancient city of Merv outside the modern city of Mary, the ruins of Gonur-Tepe are an indication of the archeological riches of Turkmenistan, one of the most isolated countries in the world. Around 2,000 BC, Gonur-Tepe was the main settlement of the Margush or Margiana region that was home to one of the most sophisticated, but little-known Bronze Age civilisations.

The site -- which until the last century was covered by desert and scrub -- was uncovered in Soviet times by the celebrated archeologist Viktor Sarianidi who, at the age of 84, is about to spend another summer working on the site.


Read more at Art Daily and Discover magazine.
[ Reply to This ]
    Re: Ancient mysteries revealed in Turkmen desert sands by Anonymous on Thursday, 13 June 2013
    'GONUR TEPE' - ANCIENT SITE OF TURKMENISTAN, THE SANSKRIT CONNECTION
    In the region west of India including Afghanistan and Turkey there are many ancient sites which have names that end with the word 'tepe'. Arcaeologists describe Gonur Tepe as an Indo-Iranian sacred site where religious austerities were performed. It comprises of two temple complexes - one dedicated to fire, the other to water. The two temple complexes are aligned with the cardinal North direction. The artifacts and traces found at the site reveal that the site was used for fire-worship and preparation of what is known as 'hoama'.

    The name 'Hoama' of course is the distorted version of the Sanskrit 'Soama'. 'Soama', as described in the Vedas, is translated as 'nectar of the gods' and is regarded as a 'heavenly elixir'. But a study of Ayurveda reveals that Soama is a medicinal preparation used for the detoxification of the body.

    The use of Soama is complex and its administration is to be done in a precise manner which is detailed in the Ayurveda.

    Mainstream historians have concluded that the Gonur Tepe citizens lead a very complex religious life. Apart from that they have not yet been able to throw much light on what the site was used for.

    What about the origins of the name Gonur Tepe? The name is generally translated in Turkmenistan as 'Brown Hill'. Since places of meditation are always in remote places, mostly hills and mountains, the word 'tepe' is equated with 'hills'. In India too most sages did their 'tapa' on hills and mountains therefore 'tapa' is linked with mountains, but 'tapa' simply means a place for meditation or penance or austerity and not 'hill'. 'Gonur Tepe' is not located on a hill either, it is located in a desert. (In many other ancient traditions, such as in Latin America, ancient sacred places often have names which end with 'tepuis'. For example, in the Native tongue of the Pemon, the indigenous people who inhabited the Grana Sabana region of Venezuela, the word 'tepui' means 'house of the gods'. )

    The actual source word of 'tepe' is the Sanskrit 'tapa'. In the Sanskrit-Vedic tradition, the word 'tapa' (तप) is related to 'meditation', 'austerity', 'warmth', 'sun', 'heat', 'concentration', 'illumination', 'enlightenment', 'concentration', 'glow', 'fire' , 'religious austerity', 'refinement', 'scientific testing by fire', etc. In fact the word 'tapa' (तप) entails the combined meaning all the words listed above.

    The Vedic sages were engaged in 'tapa', the scholars of ancient India were engaged in 'tapa', in fact the 'gods' and 'devas' were all engaged in 'tapa'. Fire was, and is, considered sacred in the Vedic Dharma also known as Sanatana Dharma (today called Hinduism). An austerity performed was always done in front of a 'fire' and was known as a 'yagya'.

    As for the word 'Gonur', in the Sanskrit tradition it may be linked with 'guna' (गुण) meaning qualities. All beings have three qualities or 'guna' – satwa (सत्व), rajas (राजस) and 'tamas' (तामस ). Satwa is the quality of purity, benevolence and knowledge; rajas is action, bravery and result oriented actions; tamas is laziness and inertia. We must make an effort, that is do 'tapas', to overcome 'rajas' and' tamas' and increase the 'satwa' quality. This is known as ' tapoguna' which means a quality obtained by performing penance.

    The fact that traces of 'Soama' have survived in this 4000 year old Temple Complex at Gonur Tepe indicates that it may have once been a site for performing the Ayurvedic 'Tapa-Guna'. Administration of 'Soama' is a part of the 'Tapa-Guna' process.

    The real meaning and function of these Indic-Vedic sites anywhere in the world cannot be understood without the aid of either Sanskrit or the Vedic texts.
    [ Reply to This ]

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