Archaeologists investigating the ancient city of Taxila in Pakistan have begun uncovering a monumental structure measuring nearly 100 metres long and more than 50 metres wide, offering new opportunities to explore the region’s complex cultural history, including its connections with the Greek world.
Known as Jandial D, the structure stands outside the fortified ancient city of Sirkap, directly opposite the famous Jandial Temple, which features distinctive Ionic columns associated with ancient Greek architecture.
The discovery is particularly significant because Taxila was an important centre of cultural exchange where Greek, Persian, Central Asian and South Asian traditions interacted over centuries. However, archaeologists have not established a direct Greek connection to the newly excavated monument.
Although British archaeologist Alexander Cunningham recorded the site in 1864, the structure had never been systematically investigated. Excavations led by the Italian Archaeological Mission of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice began in August 2026.
According to the university’s announcement on October 13, researchers have uncovered substantial walls surviving at least one metre above the ground.
The monument’s enormous dimensions suggest that it may have served a public or religious function, but its precise purpose, date and cultural associations remain unknown.
A Monument Overlooked for More Than 160 Years
Jandial D occupies a strategic position outside Sirkap’s defensive walls, along a route that once connected the city’s northern gate with Gandhara.
The surrounding region became a meeting point for different peoples, political powers and religious traditions. Its history includes periods of Achaemenid Persian influence, the campaigns of Alexander the Great and the establishment of Indo-Greek kingdoms in parts of the region.
These historical connections provide important context for understanding Taxila’s diverse architectural and cultural heritage. They do not, however, establish who built or used Jandial D.
Luca Maria Olivieri, professor of Central Asian and Indian archaeology at Ca’ Foscari University and director of the Italian Archaeological Mission, has highlighted the importance of the monument’s scale and location.
Further excavations will be needed to establish its chronology, architectural development and relationship with the ancient city and neighbouring structures.
The Greek-Style Temple Opposite the Discovery
The Jandial Temple is one of Taxila’s most distinctive ancient buildings. Its Ionic columns and architectural layout resemble features of Greek temples, making it an important example of Greek architectural influence in South Asia.
The temple’s plan includes an entrance porch, an inner sanctuary and a rear chamber. These architectural features have attracted scholarly attention because of their similarities to traditions associated with the Greek world.
Such similarities must be interpreted within Taxila’s broader multicultural history. Greek architectural forms could be adopted, adapted or incorporated into local building traditions without necessarily indicating that a structure was built by Greek settlers or used exclusively for Greek religious practices.
The relationship between the temple and the newly excavated Jandial D monument remains unresolved. Their proximity makes the area particularly interesting for archaeological research, but there is currently no confirmed evidence that the two structures were built at the same time or served related purposes.
Taxila: A Meeting Point of Ancient Civilisations
Taxila developed through successive periods of cultural and political change. Persian, Greek, Central Asian and South Asian influences contributed to its urban development, religious life and architectural traditions.
The fortified city of Sirkap, established around the second century BC, is known for its planned streets and buildings reflecting a variety of architectural styles.
The wider archaeological landscape also contains Buddhist monasteries and stupas that demonstrate Gandhara’s importance as a centre of Buddhist learning and artistic production.
Taxila’s historical significance is therefore not limited to Greek influence. Its importance lies in the interaction of multiple traditions across different periods.
UNESCO inscribed Taxila on the World Heritage List in 1980, recognising the site’s exceptional archaeological record and its evidence of successive stages of urban development in the Indian subcontinent.
Further Excavations May Answer Key Questions
The investigation at Jandial D forms part of Khyber PATH, an archaeological research and heritage conservation initiative covering eight sites between Taxila and the Swat Valley.
The project brings together Ca’ Foscari University and archaeological authorities in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, with funding from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation and support from ISCOS.
Other sites under investigation include Barikot, the ancient settlement of Bazira in the Swat Valley, and Sirsukh, another fortified city in the Taxila region.
Researchers are also examining the remains of Kacha-Kot, an ancient rammed-earth fortification associated with Sirkap.
The newly investigated monument highlights how much remains to be understood about the areas beyond Taxila’s best-known ancient structures.
For now, the strongest connection to the Greek world is the Greek-style architecture of the nearby Jandial Temple and the wider historical context of cultural exchange in the region. Whether Jandial D shared that architectural tradition, served a related function or belonged to an entirely different phase of the settlement remains a question for future excavation.
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