This study examines a sample of 54 documented Buddhist temple remains in Central Asia from an architectural perspective. Specifically, it discussed the key characteristics/commonalities and analyzed the spatial composition between the stupa courts and shrines to locate the worship object in the main chamber. By focusing on the placement of the main stupa and shrines, the stupa courts were categorized into two types (surrounded and parallel). Meanwhile, the spatial composition of the shrines with the worship object (the stupa or Buddhist statue) in the main chamber were classified into five types according to the central worship object and the placements of the neighboring worship objects. Based on the findings, the worship behaviors inferred from the spatial composition of the stupa courts were also observed in the shrines with circumambulatory architecture.
Nakamura et al. (Fri,) studied this question.