Photo Gallery
Bamiyan Buddhas
The Bamiyan Buddhas were among the most impressive Buddhist monuments in central Asia before their demolition in March 2001 at the hands of the Taliban. No one knows precisely when they were constructed, but it is likely that they were erected sometime in the 4th or 5th centuries. For many centuries they stood sentinel to groups of wandering monks and merchants along the famous "silk road" from Rome to China. Alongside the Buddhas, monasteries once existed here as places of sanctuary, but were abandoned in the 9th century as Islam displaced Buddhism in Afghanistan.
The two Buddha figures were commonly classified as the larger and smaller one (53 and 38 meters, respectively). They were once covered with a mixture of mud and straw, upon which plaster was added and then painted to provide a rich detail of expressions for the face and realism for the hands and robes. Long before their destruction, both the outer plaster covering and the surrounding cave paintings were rubbed away by the elements.
The Buddhas were destroyed following the Taliban's assertion that the statues were idolatrous. With the swift collapse of the Tabliban in November, 2001, a team of Swiss preservationists announced plans to restore the statues using precise three-dimensional data collected in the 1970s. However, the United Nations recommended in early 2002 that the monuments not be restored as a reminder of the Taliban's destructive legacy.
Bibliography:
All images copyright 2001 The Center for Afghanistan Studies, University of Nebraska at Omaha. Used with permission.
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expression of Buddhism characterizing Bakhtria from the 1st to 13th centuries and contains numerous Buddhist monastic ensembles and sanctuaries. It was also an important centre of pilgrimage over many centuries. In March 2001 the Taliban deliberatedly destroyed two enormous standing Buddha statues that were 1600 years old.
Website: saimmedia.blogspot.comFor Our Afghanistan it was the greatest loss ever, we condemn all the intruders who stolen the small buddhas of Bamiyan,,,
It is a horrible loss to the art world and to the passer by who could feel peace from the Buddhist monuments.
I was in Bamyon in 1973 and climbed to the top of the larger Buddhas head.A vault above the statue depicted what
As a young man I had the pleasure to sit on top of Bhudda's head and look over the Bamiyan valley on my way up to Band-e Amir. It was a memory which I cherish, hopefully one day this will be possible again.
This site was great. It really helped me with my Wonders of the Ancient World project
Awesome
Thanks for posting these photos. I believe the statues have significant historical and religious value and should be restored. I'm sure if one travels to Afghanistan, one would plenty of other reminders of Taliban's destructive legacy. Please let's restore these Buddha statues. Thanks.