Dilberjin Tepe

Dilberjin Tepe is an ancient fortified town in northern Afghanistan, probably founded in the 5th century BC during the Achaemenid period and flourishing until the 6th century AD. The quadrangular city measured approximately 390 metres per side with tamped earth and unbaked brick walls, a circular citadel at its centre, and suburbs extending south and east. Under the Kushan Empire (1st-3rd century AD) a second outer wall was added. A temple complex in the northeast corner yielded remarkable wall paintings in Hellenistic style, possibly dedicated to the Dioscuri, along with marble Bactrian inscriptions and coins from multiple periods. Later frescoes depicting Shiva and Parvati on the bull Nandi date to the 8th century, attesting to the site's long multicultural history.