The Kizil Caves

The Kizil Caves (Chinese: 克孜尔千佛洞; lit. ‘Kizil Caves of the Thousand Buddhas’ or ‘The Thousand Red Houses’) are a set of Buddhist rock-cut caves situated near Kizil, Xinjiang, China. Historically significant and renowned for their intricate murals, these caves offer a fascinating glimpse into the rich murals and sculptures of Buddhism in China and Central Asia.

The caves are one of the earliest significant Buddhist rock cave complexes in China and have an important role in Central Asian art and in the Silk Road transmission of Buddhism. The caves were dug mostly during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the earliest as early as the 4th century, the latest during the Yuan Dynasty. Although the site has been damaged and looted, many square meters of wall paintings have been preserved. In 2014, they became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Location of the Kizil Caves in Xinjiang, China. Source: Wikipediaꜛ.

The network of the ancient Silk Road and trade routes connected to it. Source: Wikimediaꜛ.

In 1906, a German expedition team led by Albert Grünwedel ventured into these caves, revealing a trove of ancient artifacts and murals. Grünwedel and his team meticulously documented their findings, leading to a surge of interest in the Western world about the rich history and artistry present in the Kizil Caves.

Fast forward to today, these magnificent treasures are exhibited at the Humboldt Forum in Berlin. In a meticulous reconstruction, artifacts of the caves are being displayed in the Museum of Asian Art inside the Forum, allowing visitors to experience the beauty and grandeur of the caves and its art. Artifacts recovered from the caves are displayed alongside fragments of the murals.

Cave of the ring-bearing doves, Kizil Cave 123, Xinjiang, China, Humboldt Forum. Colors on clay, ca. 550.

Distribution of Relics, mural painting, 6th/7th c., colors on clay, Kizil, Xinjiang, China, Humboldt Forum.

Cave of the ring-bearing doves, Kizil Cave 123, Xinjiang, China, Humboldt Forum. Colors on clay, ca. 550.

Cave of the ring-bearing doves, Kizil Cave 123, Xinjiang, China, Humboldt Forum. Colors on clay, ca. 550.

Cave of the ring-bearing doves, Kizil Cave 123, Xinjiang, China, Humboldt Forum. Colors on clay, ca. 550.

Cave of the ring-bearing doves, Kizil Cave 123, Xinjiang, China, Humboldt Forum. Colors on clay, ca. 550.

Cave of the ring-bearing doves, Kizil Cave 123, Xinjiang, China, Humboldt Forum. Colors on clay, ca. 550.

Buddhist cave murals, China. Humboldt Forum.

Friezes with stupas and nuns, wall painting, not dated, colors on clay, cave 13, Kizil, Xinjiang, China, Humboldt Forum.

Council of Rajagrha, 7th c., colors on clay, Chin. No. 224, transformation passage, Kizil, Xinjiang, China, Humboldt Forum.

Buddha sermon, wall painting, 6th c., colors on clay, Kizil, Xinjiang, China, Humboldt Forum.

Buddhist cave murals, China. Humboldt Forum.

Buddha on a dragon boat, wall painting, 7th c., colors on clay, Musicians Choir Cave (Cave 38), Kizil, Xinjiang, China, Humboldt Forum.

Flying deities, mural painting, 6th c., colors on clay, statue cave (Chin. no. 77), transformation passage, Kizil, Xinjiang, China, Humboldt Forum.

Four Tocharian donors and kneeling servant with offering, wall painting, 6th/7th c., colors on clay, sword-bearer cave, Chin. Number 8, Kizil, Xinjiang, China, Humboldt Forum.

Scultpture from Buddhist caves, China. Humboldt Forum.

Scultpture from Buddhist caves, China. Humboldt Forum.

Scultpture from Buddhist caves, China. Humboldt Forum.

Scultpture from Buddhist caves, China. Humboldt Forum.

Left: Big Devata head, Right: Head of a Bodhisattva. Clay sculpture, not dated, air-dried painted clay, statue cave, Kizil, Xinjiang, China, Humboldt Forum.

Collection of heads, Kizil, Xinjiang, China, Humboldt Forum.

Collection of heads, Kizil, Xinjiang, China, Humboldt Forum.

Collection of heads, Kizil, Xinjiang, China, Humboldt Forum.

Further readings

• Roderick Whitfield, Susan Whitfield, Neville Agnew, Lois Conner, and Wu Jian, Cave Temples of Mogao at Dunhuang: Art and History on the Silk Road: Art and History on the Silk Road, 2015, Second Edition, Getty Publications, ISBN-13: 978-1606064450
• Kurt Behrendt, How to Read Buddhist Art, 2019, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, ISBN: 9781588396730
• Ulf Palitza, Mit Plinius auf der Seidenstraße: Studien zur Farbenfabrikation und Maltechnik der Antike, 2017, Book, ISBN: 9783865023926