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Some consider this stronghold to be a temple and call it ‘Russian Shaolin’. Others believe that this construction serves as the northern gates to sacred place Schambala.Wikimapia View
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The Por-Bajin fortress (in Tuvinian – “the clay house”) was built in the middle of the VIIIth century by the order of the chief of Uigurian chagan Eletmish Bilige-chagan on the island of Tere-Khol.
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In In 750 A.С. he came with his troops on the territory of the today’s Tuva to conquer it. In order to consolidate his position on the captured territory he built a fortress.
Its walls were about ten meters high. The central palace which was situated on a high platform belonged to Eletmish Bilige-chagan himself. Ancient builders had to bring thousands tons of clay and burnt brick.
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The monument has a complex architecture – inside the straight rectangular is located an entire labyrinth of buildings, resembling the Buddhist or Hindu mandola.
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At that time in the Valley of the Hemchik River appeared an entire system of fortresses – 17 similar constructions; but the Por-Bajin fortress strongly differs by its construction from all other known monuments.
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The influence of Sogdian culture is highly prominent in its architecture. It is possible that the Sogdians – natives of China, who traded with all nomadic population of Central Asia - participated in the building of the fortress.
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