Bamiyan Buddhas

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The Taliban’s evolving stance on cultural heritage sites in Afghanistan has attracted international attention, especially concerning the Bamiyan Buddhas.

About the Bamiyan Buddhas

Carved into the sandstone cliffs of Bamiyan Valley in central Afghanistan during the 6th century CE, the Bamiyan Buddhas were two monumental statues of standing Buddhas, towering at 115 feet and 174 feet. These statues are regarded as masterpieces of the Gandhara School of Buddhist Art, a unique blend of artistic influences from Indian, Persian, and Greco-Roman cultures.

The two statues were named Salsal (“light shines through the universe”) and Shamama (“Queen Mother”), standing at heights of 55 meters and 38 meters, respectively. The design of the statues incorporated a fusion of Gupta, Sassanian, and Hellenistic elements, reflecting a rich confluence of cultural and artistic traditions. These statues were significant markers of the spread of Buddhism across Central and South Asia, especially between the 1st and 13th centuries.

Destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas

The Taliban, a hardline group that emerged in the 1990s, adopted an extremist interpretation of Islamic law, which included a ban on various forms of art, the education of girls, and public expressions of culture. On February 27, 2001, the Taliban officially declared their intent to destroy the Bamiyan Buddhas, deeming the statues incompatible with their interpretation of Islam.

Over the course of 25 days, the statues were deliberately demolished using explosives, marking one of the most notorious acts of cultural destruction in recent history. In 2003, despite the irreparable damage, UNESCO designated the Bamiyan Valley as a World Heritage Site.

In 2021, a 3D holographic projection temporarily recreated the statue of Salsal, offering a new way to connect with the lost heritage of the site.