Dandan Oilik

Welcome to Dandan Oilik, a name that in the local Uyghur language means 'the house of ivory' or 'the house with a treasure of ivory.' We are deep within the Taklamakan Desert, the biggest desert in China, a place where the wind…

The story of modern Dandan Oilik begins in nineteen hundred with the arrival of Marc Aurel Stein. The explorer, traveling by river from the Kunlun Mountains, pushed deep into the desert in search of ancient sites mentioned in…

One of the most important cultural treasures found at Dandan Oilik is a small, painted wooden panel that illustrates the legend of how silk came to the region. In ancient times, the export of silkworms from China was strictly…

Dandan Oilik was once a major center of Buddhist learning and devotion, home to more than three hundred monks. The most prominent feature of the site is the 'Dandan Oilik Stupa,' a primitive pagoda that served as a focal point…

The art discovered at Dandan Oilik is a remarkable example of the 'Khotanese school of painting,' a style that represents a unique synthesis of cultures. This school combined elements from Western Asian, Indian, and Chinese…

The lifeblood of Dandan Oilik was not just the water from the mountains but also the jade found in the nearby riverbeds. The Yulong Kashi River, also known as the White Jade River, flows down from the Kunlun Mountains, bringing…

The eventual downfall of Dandan Oilik is a powerful reminder of the influence of geography and climate on the rise and fall of civilizations. For an archaeologist, these are the two constants. …

As we prepare to leave the silent ruins of Dandan Oilik and return to the modern world, take a final look at the horizon where the sand meets the sky. We have explored the 'Ivory House,' a place that was once a beacon of Buddhist…