Kara Tepe is a Buddhist cave complex dug into the earthen hills just outside Termez, dating to the first through fourth centuries AD. The caves served as meditation cells and small temples, and their design closely resembles sacred cave complexes found further east in Gandhara — the cultural region spanning modern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan from which Buddhism spread into Central Asia.
Access to Kara Tepe requires coordination with local authorities due to its proximity to the Afghan border, and you will need a permit in addition to your standard Uzbek registration. A guide who knows the local system is essentially required. The site is less visually dramatic than Fayaz Tepe but more intimate, and the inscriptions carved into the cave walls are among the oldest surviving examples of Buddhist writing in Central Asia.