View source for Seri Bahlol

{{Short description|Archaeological site in Pakistan}}
{{For|village and union council|Seri Bahlol, Mardan}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
| WHS           = Seri Bahlol
| image         = Seri-Bahlol Showing village view and agriculture land.JPG
| image_upright = 1.2
| caption       =
| location      = [[Mardan District]], [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], [[Pakistan]], <!-- make selection: P17 (country) and possibly P131 (administrative subdivision of country) suffice in most cases -->
| part_of       = Buddhist Ruins of [[Takht-i-Bahi]] and Neighbouring City Remains at Seri Bahlol
| criteria      = {{UNESCO WHS type|(iv)}}(iv)
| ID            = 140-002
| coordinates   = {{Coord|34|15|19.71|N|71|57|02.48|E|region:PK_type:landmark|display=title, inline|format=dms}}
| year          = 1980
| locmapin      = Pakistan#Gandhara#South Asia
| map_caption   =
}}
'''Seri Bahlol''' ({{langx|ur|{{nq|سری بہلول}}}}), also '''Sahr-i Bahlol''' or '''Sahri Bahlol''', is a city and archaeological site located near [[Takht-i-Bahi]], in [[Mardan District]], about 70 kilometer north-west of [[Peshawar]], [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], [[Pakistan]].
==History==
[[File:Gandhara Sahr-i-Bhalol.jpg|thumb|left|Seri Bahlol is at the center of the [[Gandhara]] area.]]
Seri Bahlol is a historical place and it has been included in the [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage List]] since 1980.<ref name="Unesco">{{cite web | url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/140/ | publisher=Unesco | title=Buddhist Ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and Neighbouring City Remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol | accessdate=27 May 2021 }}</ref> The ruins of Seri Bahlol are the remnants of a small ancient fortified town built during the [[Kushan Empire|Kushan]] period.<ref name="Unesco"/><ref>{{cite book|last1=Katariya|first1=Adesh|title=The Glorious History of Kushana Empire: Kushana Gurjar History|date=2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=P7TpDAAAQBAJ&pg=RA1-PT47|accessdate=2 December 2017}}</ref> The city was protected during the time of [[John Marshall (archaeologist)|John Marshall]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Conserving Fortified Heritage: The Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Fortifications and World Heritage|date=2016|publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing|isbn=9781443896375|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8CFUDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA87|accessdate=2 December 2017}}</ref>
It contains the remains of [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]], which have not been properly excavated. Antiques such as statues, coins, utensils and jewellery are commonly found.<ref>Hassan Dani, Dr: The Peshawar</ref> The local people continue illegal excavation in their homes and land, damaging the historical monuments. Some of the local dealers of antiques misguide the local population and instigate them to involve in illegal excavation. It requires national and international attention in order to reserve the remnants at Seri Bahlol.<ref name="Unesco"/>
The word "Seri Bahlol" has been explained by various people in different ways. The local people, however, explains that this is a combination of two [[Hindi]] words "Sheri" means Sir and "Bahlol" the name of a prominent political and religious leader of the area. However, the name is not as old as the village Seri Bahlol. The village is located on a hillock protected by a well sophisticated stone wall which was constructed under the [[Kushans]].<ref name="Unesco"/> The wall is damaged in several places, but it is still visible in many places. The village is surrounded by fertile land where local people practice agriculture. For the last few years, the rapid population growth has engulfed the agriculture land which is a risk for food security.{{fact|date=May 2021}}
==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Seri Bahlol-Agriculture Land-1.jpg|A farmer applying pesticides to his crop
File:Seri-Bahlol-General view-2.jpg|A view of the village
Sahri-Bahlol excavations 1911-1912.jpg|Excavations in 1911-1912.
File:024 Bodhisattva Meditating, 1c Sahr-i-Bahlol (9218660777).jpg|Meditating [[Bodhisattva]]. Schist. Sahr-i-Bahlol. [[Patna Museum]]
39. Ordination of Nanda-2nd century CE-Sahri Bahlol-Gandhara Gallery- Indian Museum- Kolkata.-G11-A23282.jpg|[[Ordination]] of [[Nanda (half-brother of Buddha)|Nanda]]. Schist. Sahr-i-Bahlol. [[Indian Museum]], [[Calcutta]].
8. Preaching Buddha, 4th century CE, Sahri Bahlol, Gandhara Gallery, Indian Museum, Kolkata.-NS3935-A23207.jpg|Preaching Buddha.
Head of a bodhisattva, Gandhara, Pakistan, Sahri Bahlol, c. 100 AD, schist - San Diego Museum of Art - DSC06345.JPG|Head of a bodhisattva.
MET DT235.jpg|Bodhisattva.
Standing Bodhisattva. Gandharan (undated), from Sahribahlol. Indian Museum, Calcutta ei05-34.jpg|Standing Bodhisattva.
Sahri-Bahlol Buddhas.jpg|Buddha statues.
File:Buddhist Triad Peshawar Museum.jpg|Seated Buddha triad from Sahr-i-Bahlol.<ref name="GF">{{cite journal|last1=Fussman|first1=Gérard|title=Documents Epigraphiques Kouchans|journal=Bulletin de l'École française d'Extrême-Orient|date=1974|volume=61|pages=54–57|doi=10.3406/befeo.1974.5193|issn=0336-1519|jstor=43732476 }}</ref> [[Peshawar Museum]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rhi|first1=Juhyung|title=Identifying Several Visual Types of Gandharan Buddha Images. Archives of Asian Art 58 (2008).|pages=53–56|url=https://www.academia.edu/7976078|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=The Classical Art Research Centre|first1=University of Oxford|title=Problems of Chronology in Gandhāran Art: Proceedings of the First International Workshop of the Gandhāra Connections Project, University of Oxford, 23rd-24th March, 2017|date=2018|publisher=Archaeopress|page=[https://archive.org/details/ProblemsOfChronologyInGandharanArt/page/n52 45], notes 28, 29|url=https://archive.org/details/ProblemsOfChronologyInGandharanArt}}</ref>
File:Seated Buddha triad Sahri Bahlol excavations ASI 1911-1912.jpg|Seated Buddha triad, Sahri Bahlol excavations, 1911-1912.
File:Great Buddha of Sahri Bahlol 1909 excavation (upright).jpg|Great Buddha of Sahri Bahlol 1909 excavation (upright)
File:Peshawar Museum Sahri Bahlol Buddha, excavated 1909-1910.jpg|Sahri Bahlol Buddha, excavated 1909-1910, [[Peshawar Museum]]
File:Bronze Buddha image Gandhara Sahr-i Bahlol BM.jpg|Bronze Buddha image, [[British Museum]].
</gallery>
==See also==
{{commons category|Seri Bahlol}}
* [[Hindu, Jain and Buddhist architectural heritage of Pakistan]]
* [[List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Pakistan]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Gandhara|state=expanded}}
{{Archaeological sites around Mardan |state=expanded}}
{{World Heritage Sites in Pakistan}}
{{Cultural heritage sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |state=autocollapse}}
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Buddhism in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Populated places in Mardan District]]
[[Category:Buddhist sites in Pakistan]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]