Zurmala Tower

Massive ancient Buddhist stupa mound on the edge of Termez, a reminder of pre-Islamic Bactria.

Zurmala Tower is a blunt, weathered survivor from the Buddhist past of Termez. What remains is a huge cylindrical stupa core, stripped of its original facing but still powerful for its scale and age.

It pairs naturally with Fayaz Tepe and Kara Tepe, the better-known Buddhist sites nearby. Zurmala is less refined than those ruins, but it helps make the point that ancient Termez sat on a cultural crossroads long before the Silk Road became a travel slogan.

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