Buddhism in Tajikistan

Buddhism has existed in Tajikistan from antiquity through the early medieval period. Although Buddhism is no longer practiced in the country, archaeological, historical, and art-historical evidence demonstrates that the region played an important role in the transmission and localization of Buddhism in Central Asia via the Silk Road.

For several centuries, Buddhist monasteries and communities flourished in the regions of ancient Bactria and Tokharistan. Their material remains—particularly monastery complexes, monumental sculpture, and wall paintings—constitute some of the most significant archaeological evidence for Central Asian Buddhism.