Monthly Photos　Jun 2023

Photos taken by ILCAA staff and associates are posted here once a month; most of them are taken during their field research in Asia and Africa.

(The copyright belongs to the photographers.)

Ruins of Bambhore

The Arab Muslim army led by Muhammad ibn Qasim landed near the mouth of the Indus River in 711. At that time, this area was ruled by a Hindu king named Raja Dahar, and after defeating Dahar in a fierce battle, the Arab-Muslim army brought the area to Multan in Punjab under their control. The first town that the Arab-Muslim army reached after landing in the region is mentioned in Arabic geographies as Daybul (DYBL). According to one theory, Daybul is called Deval, and its etymology can be restored to the Sanskrit Devālaya (abode of God). The most likely candidate for Dybul is the site of Bambhore, located about 60 km east of Karachi. The site has been in use since at least the first century B.C. during the Indo-Scythian period, and pottery dating back several centuries has been excavated. The massive fortification also contains the remains of a Śiva temple and the platform of what is believed to be the first mosque in South Asia, established after the Arab-Muslim conquest of the region.

January 30, 2023
Ruins of Bambhore (Pakistan)
Photograph by Satoshi OGURA