Buddhistic cloister of Ajina-Tepa

Quite frankly, I don't know why Tajikistan has this venue on its shortlist. The only spectacular monument - the large reclining Buddha - has been removed from here and is in the National Museum in Dushambe. Anyone can visit it there - the museum is interesting, by the way, and the price of the ticket includes a guided tour in English. There is virtually nothing on site. The road from Bokhtar is signposted and it's really not far. You have to cross a bridge over a small ditch to get to the site - there is no entrance fee, no guards, and not much to guard. They used to put up signs, which are now quite hard to read. The few walls that are still standing, somtimes some two meters high, are also crumbling, in fact it is impossible imagine the structure of the building as they are so dilapidated. The whole site looks as if it was totally abandonned. Nor is there any trace of where the great Buddha lay. The whole site is in a deplorable state - although with considerable work, placing a replica of the reclining Buddha, it could certainly be made into something enjoyable.