The Great Buddha of Bamiyan (XVIII)
View of Bamiyan Valley and snowcapped Hindukush mountains through an opening in the side wall of the Buddha niche • Bamiyan, Afghanistan
This image was taken in June of 1973 (scanned from a slide)
The Buddhas of Bamiyan (also spelled Bamyan or Bamian) were two monumental standing Buddha statues carved into the side of a cliff (at an altitude of 2,500 m) in Bamiyan Valley, 230 km northwest of Kabul.
Bamiyan is located along the ancient Silk Road, and early Buddhist travelers built monasteries along the way, including carved cave dwellings in the cliffs above Bamiyan Valley.
The largest standing Buddha was located on the left side of the cliff, 53 meters tall (the niche has a height of 58 m) and was built from about 591 to 644 AD. The smaller of the standing Buddhas was 35 meters tall (the niche has a height of 38 meters) and was built from about 544 to 595 AD. There was also a small sitting Buddha located between the standing ones.
Over time many attempts were made to destroy the Buddhas, bullet holes were clearly visible in the fresco surfaces above the large Buddha's head in addition to damage to the stucco exterior caused by canon and gun fire. The larger Buddha's face was destroyed by Afghan king Abdur Rahman Shah during his fight against the rebellious Hazara population of Bamiyan.
Although the Buddhas of Bamiyan were initially tolerated by the Taliban ("Buddhists no longer live in Afghanistan..."), the ideological pressure against idolism increased, and in March of 2001 all of them were completely destroyed.
In 2003 UNESCO inscripted "the Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley" on the "List of World Heritage in Danger".
Additional information: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhas_of_Bamiyan and whc.unesco.org/en/list/208
The Great Buddha of Bamiyan (XVIII)
View of Bamiyan Valley and snowcapped Hindukush mountains through an opening in the side wall of the Buddha niche • Bamiyan, Afghanistan
This image was taken in June of 1973 (scanned from a slide)
The Buddhas of Bamiyan (also spelled Bamyan or Bamian) were two monumental standing Buddha statues carved into the side of a cliff (at an altitude of 2,500 m) in Bamiyan Valley, 230 km northwest of Kabul.
Bamiyan is located along the ancient Silk Road, and early Buddhist travelers built monasteries along the way, including carved cave dwellings in the cliffs above Bamiyan Valley.
The largest standing Buddha was located on the left side of the cliff, 53 meters tall (the niche has a height of 58 m) and was built from about 591 to 644 AD. The smaller of the standing Buddhas was 35 meters tall (the niche has a height of 38 meters) and was built from about 544 to 595 AD. There was also a small sitting Buddha located between the standing ones.
Over time many attempts were made to destroy the Buddhas, bullet holes were clearly visible in the fresco surfaces above the large Buddha's head in addition to damage to the stucco exterior caused by canon and gun fire. The larger Buddha's face was destroyed by Afghan king Abdur Rahman Shah during his fight against the rebellious Hazara population of Bamiyan.
Although the Buddhas of Bamiyan were initially tolerated by the Taliban ("Buddhists no longer live in Afghanistan..."), the ideological pressure against idolism increased, and in March of 2001 all of them were completely destroyed.
In 2003 UNESCO inscripted "the Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley" on the "List of World Heritage in Danger".
Additional information: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhas_of_Bamiyan and whc.unesco.org/en/list/208