Bizeklik Thousand Buddha Cave in Turpan

Bizeklik, Thousand Buddha Caves stand high on the cliffs of west Mutou Valley under the Flaming Mountains, 45 km (28miles) east of Turpan. Of the 83 original caves, 57 caves currently remain. The murals cover an area over 1, 200 square meters (12,917 square feet) in more than 40 caves. The group of grottoes in Bizeklik has the most grottoes, most diversified architectural styles and the richest mural content in the Turpan area.

Bizeklik Caves was the royal temple of Idiqut (the predecessor of today's Uighur) State and the existing caves were enlarged or renovated during that time. The murals take us back to the ancient Idiqut State, where we can see the King and Queen and people from all walks of life. The inscriptions, written in ancient Uighur, Chinese and other languages, provide authentic reference for valuable historic research. "Bizeklik" means simply “place of paintings.” It is a major Buddhist site in the heart of the Flaming Mountains.

The murals were not only artistically stunning but also anthropologically important as they depicted a range of people including Indians, Persians and Caucasians. Unfortunately, few murals of good quality remain at the caves. Buddhism in Turpan began to decline in popularity with the introduction of Islam. Subsequently, the religious importance of The Bizeklik Thousand Buddha Caves became less apparent. Many were taken by the German Von Le Coq in the early 20th century. While excavating the site he discovered the artistic masterpieces and decided to cut out the murals and transport them for sale in Europe. . Vandals dug out the eyes of many of the portraits human figures contained in the murals. Later, at the beginning of the 20 century, foreign explorers robbed the caves of much of the treasures. Despite all the destruction, the surviving parts, such as the delicate Buddha seat and the bright color of the murals, give us some idea of its past glory.

The most exceptionally rare mural topics in Bizeklik Caves are found in Caves No.16 and 17. Cave No.16 depicts a musician playing a lute-like instrument. This strengthens the belief that cultural flourishing during Idiqut kingdom.

The mural "Transformation in Hell" in Cave No.17 supports the notion Idiqut was the center of Manicheism from 9 to 12 century. The murals depicting "Buddhist disciples wailing in mourning" and "Bhikku wailing in mourning" on the back wall of the Grotto No.33 are rare artistic pieces which depict the inner feelings of the figures with vivid images and individual characteristics. The ancient instruments shown in the mural depicting "Female Dancers on Performance" in Grotto No.16 and the mural of "Transformation in the Hell" in Grotto No.17 are seldom seen in Buddhist grottoes.

Bizeklik thousand budda caves (Bizeklikning korunixi)	Bizeklik thousand budda caves (Bizeklikning korunixi)
The murals inside cave (Tamdiki icidiki ressimler)	The murals inside cave(Tamdiki icidiki ressimler)
The murals inside cave(Tamdiki icidiki ressimler)	The murals inside cave(Tamdiki icidiki ressimler)
Bizeklik thousand cave sign(Bizeklik aldi)	Camels ride for tourists (Sayahetciler ucun teyyarlighan togular)