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When Muslim armies from Afghanistan
来自阿富汗的穆斯林军队
invaded India in the 12th century,
在十二世纪入侵印度的时候
they were horrified by what they found.
被他们的发现吓坏了
This was the original home of the Hindu faith,
这里就是印度教的起源地
were people worshipped not one God but millions.
在这里 人们崇拜的神灵数不胜数
Worse still, artists across India were kept busy
更糟糕的是 整个印度的艺术家仍都忙于
creating a never-ending array of idols
创造一系列无穷无尽的神像
that were central to Hindu religion.
而这些神像正是印度教的核心
Muslim writers often presented India
穆斯林作家经常把印度称为
as a place of image worship gone mad,
一个偶像崇拜发疯的地方
even as the origin of idols themselves.
甚至是偶像崇拜的起源地
One story had it that idols only spread more widely in the world
有一个故事是说 偶像之所以遍布全球
because they'd been washed away from India
是因为他们在诺亚大洪水的时候
by the waters of Noah's flood.
从印度被冲到各地
Along with these stories,
伴随着这些故事
legendary tales were sent back to the Muslim world
传奇故事被传回偶像被大规模破坏
of mass idol-breaking and the total destruction of Hindu temples.
印度寺庙完全被毁的穆斯林世界
And in their place, the Muslim crusaders built this.
在那里 穆斯林改革者建造了这个
This is the first mosque in Delhi.
这是德里的第一座清真寺
Constructed in the 1190s,
建于十二世纪九十年代
it was once known as the most imposing mosque in the world.
它被认为是世界上最壮观的清真寺
Huge arches form a grand gateway,
巨大的拱门组成了宏伟的入口
a towering minaret proclaims Islam
高耸入云的宣礼塔宣告着
as the one true faith.
伊斯兰教是唯一真正的信仰
And in the centre, surrounding the prayer hall,
在中心 环绕着祈祷室的
is this extraordinary ornate colonnade.
是这异常华丽的柱廊
It's easy to imagine this
可以想象 这座清真寺
as a sanctuary for the Muslims who made it,
对于建造它的穆斯林来说 是一处圣殿
an island of Islam in an idolatrous Hindu world.
是崇拜偶像的印度世界里一座伊斯兰小岛
But in this building,
但在这座建筑中
the Hindu world isn't quite so distant as it may seem.
印度世界并不像看上去的那样遥远
Various elements of earlier Hindu structures and images
事实上 大量早期的印度结构和图像元素
have actually been reused and incorporated into its very fabric.
被重新运用并融合到构造中
