Mazabaha Grottoes

Mazabaha Grottoes

Introduction The Mazabaha Grottoes are located on a sandy plain about 30 kilometers northeast of Kuqa City in Aksu. In Uyghur, “Mazha” means “tomb” and “Boha” means “garden,” together meaning a graveyard. Originally, there was indeed a large graveyard in this village. The name of the Mazabaha Grottoes comes from this village, as the two are very close to each other—the grottoes are situated on a hillside less than 500 meters southwest of the village.

Geographically, the Mazabaha Grottoes lie southeast of Kexi Village, while the Simsim Grottoes are located northwest of Kexi Village. The two grottoes face each other across Kexi Village. There is a horse-drawn carriage road passing through Kexi Village with towering ancient trees along the way. Following this road leads to the Keziquha Grottoes.

Currently, the Mazabaha Grottoes have become the most dilapidated among all the grottoes in the Kucha Grottoes complex. Out of the 44 numbered caves, Cave 24, Cave 141, and Cave 42 have completely collapsed. In addition, nine other caves are so damaged that only holes remain, making it impossible to identify their original shapes. Among the relatively intact caves, only five still retain murals. This is related to the fact that the Mazabaha Grottoes were built on a loose sandy plain. Transportation: Starting from Kuqa City, head east along the highway toward Urumqi for about 20 kilometers, then turn due north and continue for another 10-plus kilometers to reach Kexi Village. From there, turn northeast and drive about 5 kilometers to reach Mazabaha Village.

Aksu City, Xinjiang