Ancient World

Dandan Oilik

Dandan Oilik (simplified Chinese: 丹丹乌里克; traditional Chinese: 丹丹烏里克; pinyin: Dāndānwūlǐkè; Uyghur: دەندان ئۆيلىك), also Dandān-Uiliq, lit. "the houses with ivory", is an abandoned historic oasis town and Buddhist site in the Taklamakan Desert of China, located to the northeast of Khotan in what is now the autonomous region of Xinjiang, between the Khotan and Keriya rivers. The central site covers an area of 4.5 km2; the greater oasis extends over an area of 22 km2. The site flourished from the sixth century as a site along the southern branch of the Silk Road until its abandonment before the Tibetan advance at the end of the eighth century. Dandan Oilik was rediscovered and partially excavated by a succession of foreign explorers starting in 1896, and has yielded rich finds including manuscripts, stucco reliefs, painted wooden panels, and murals. A detailed survey was conducted in 2006 although much of the site remains unexcavated. Dandan Oilik is currently off-limits to the public.

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See also

• ▸Kalapodi
• ▸Cerro Negro
• ▸Di Xin

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