Flaming Mountains and ruins of Gaochang

The oasis city of Gaochang was built as a garrison and trading post when the Han Dynasty opened up the Silk Road in the first century BC. Over time the city grew in importance and once was the capital of the Uyghur Kingdom.

The Chinese citizens of Gaochang were buried at the nearby Astana Tombs.
The coffins were stuffed with products for afterlife, made from used papers, that give us a nice insight of the daily life
 in those days.

Invading Mongols destroyed Gaochang in the 14th century and after the Silk Road closed, the place was abandoned and the buildings were used as fertilizer by the local farmers.

Just north of the ruins rise the reddish Flaming Mountains,  the hottest spot in China. At Mutou Valley, a deep gorge runs  through these mountains. Here you find the Bezeklik Thousand Buddhas Cave that feature Buddhist paintings and murals dating back to the 10th century.
Unfortunately, over time most murals were badly damaged by Muslim zealots and later by fanatic
 Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution.

We visited Gaochang in October 2003.

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the water comes from the nearby Tian Shan Mountains
we have reached th entrance to the ruins. The cows have a different destination
and soon we are on our way
somehow we do not feel completely welcome
we pass the remains of Gaochang's city wall
the Besiklik caves are carved into the steep mountain side. Sorry, no picturetaking allowed inside
in 2003 the local Gaochang Mosque was up and running, but somehow it has disappeared
the Flaming Mountains provide a nice background for the ruins
these girls try to sell souvenirs, but business is slow today
but the mosque has seen major restaurations
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these are the Flaming Mountains, in summer the hottest place in China
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this gorge is called the Mutou Valley
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a truckload of youngsters slows us down
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but once inside we find our transportation waiting
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camels graze in what was once a wealthy and thriving city
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most buildings look like this