In a groundbreaking discovery near the ancient city of Bactra, an international team has uncovered the remains of a Greco-Bactrian temple featuring Corinthian columns made of local white marble. The site is uniquely dedicated to a syncretic deity combining the Greek Athena with the Iranian goddess Anahita, evidenced by a large silver-plated shield found at the base of the main altar.
The temple's peristyle court contains several inscriptions in Greek and early Aramaic script, documenting the fusion of Mediterranean and Central Asian religious practices. Despite the region's historical instability, the temple’s foundations were found largely intact under several meters of loess, preserving a rare glimpse into the Hellenistic 'Kingdom of a Thousand Cities' in the 2nd century BCE.