Por-Bagin is a structure found in the Autonomous Republic of Tuva of the Russian Federation. It is thought that the structure was built during the Uighur Khanate. It is located in a small island in the middle of a lake called Tere-Hölü. The word Por-Bagin means that in Tuva Turkish, it means “home from cooked soil”. Thanks to the efforts of Sergey Şoygu, one of the politicians of Tuva Turks in the Russian Federation, Por-Bagin was turned into a museum. Today, tourists who visit the structure may have the opportunity to explore Por-Bagin’s history and architecture.
Por-Bag, which dates back to 1300 years ago, was discovered in the middle of a lonely lake surrounded by high mountains in 1891. This structure covers a large part of the island on which it is located and contains more than 30 buildings. The building is surrounded by outer walls reaching a height of 12 meters and was built in two parts connected by a closed passage.
Research in the region began about 66 years after the discovery of Por-Bagin in 1957. However, the first in-depth studies were carried out in 2007-2008. Initially, researchers thought that Por-Bag was an ancient castle of the Uighur Empire. The building was built in Chinese architectural style at that time. However, since the structure is not on the route of commercial routes and other settlements, different theories have been put forward.
Features that make Por-Bagin mysterious
Por-Bagin is considered one of the most mysterious ancient places in Russia. During the excavations, information showing that it was built as a palace before the 8th century AD and then turned into a monastery. However, only a few works have been seized from the island so far. No trace of any heating system such as fireplace or quarry was found between the buildings. This detail seems meaningless considering the Siberian region, which is famous for its cold air at a height of 2,300 meters above sea level.
The objects in the area include clay tablets, colored drawings, burnt wood pieces, tiles, iron dagger, stone glass, silver earrings and iron nails. However, none of these works provide an answer to why the structure was built and what purpose was used. Although there are many mystery and questions about the purpose of Por-Bagin, there is a tangible information about what purpose this island was made.
any archaeologists and historians believe that Por-Bagin was actually built as a palace or a religious center.
However, this structure, built in the 8th century AD, could be built for a visual and symbolic purpose. Some researchers argue that Por-Bag may be linked to Tibetan Buddhism. Clay tablets and colorful drawings in the structure support that this place is used as a religious center. However, the exact purpose of the structure is still not fully understood.
Por-Bajin’in Amacı
Por-Bagin’s Purpose
In a recent study using carbon dating technique, it was discovered that this complex was built in 777 AD. There was a consensus that this complex had previously been made by the Uighurs. As a result of this dating, the year 777, when the complex was built, coincided with the reign of Bögü Kağan.
Bögü Kağan was the ruler of the Uighur State between 759-779. In 761, Manichaeist declared the official religion of the state. According to the religion of Mani, the “seal of the prophets” in the 3rd century, the “last prophet” was founded by Mani in the Persian Empire and spread to a wide geography in a short time. time. However, Bögü Kağan was killed in 779 AD during a rebellion opposing the religion of Manicheism.
All these finds are considered to be compatible with archaeological evidence. For this reason, archaeologists think that Por-Bagin is used as Manichaeism Monastery. This also explains why the opponents of Manichaeism did not use the complex after defeating Bögü Khan. If this is a palace or castle, it was thought that the opposing group should have dominated this area. This study also shows how the increase in carbon-14 concentration can help solve archaeological mysteries.
