Bamiyan Valley

Bamiyan Valley
Photo by Luis Filipe Gaspar.

The Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley is an outstanding representation of Gandharan Buddhist art and culture in Central Asia.

The kingdom of Bamiyan was a Buddhist state that was strategically located on the Silk Road and was an important centre of pilgrimage. The site consists of eight components, including caves with painted decorations and Buddha statues carved into the cliffs. The cliffs held two standing Buddhas, measuring 55 and 37 meters high respectively, that were the largest examples of standing Buddha carvings in the world.  They were deliberately destructed in March 2001 by the Afghan Taliban government and only the niches remain.

Community Perspective: Sidney visited in 1971 and witnessed a spectacular sunset on the Buddha statues. Noone since has reviewed it, although Bamiyan is usually part of Afghanistan travel itineraries.

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sidney

USA -

It was not exactly a day more like a 2 week experience in 1971. The most amazing place on my journey East. I had the good fortune to sit on the Giant Buddhas head and meditate and watch the sun rise over the Hindu Kush and watch those mountain peaks turn a color red that I had never seen in my life. The sunset on the buddha was just as spectacular. Lost to us forever by forces from hell. I also had the good fortune to ride horses over the fiords of Band I Amir lakes. I will never forget my trip to Bamiyan, I cried when I saw the destruction of the Buddha, I cried for all our loss but most of all for Hazra people who no longer have the magic of the Buddha. Sidney


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Site Info

Full Name
Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley
Unesco ID
208
Country
Afghanistan
Inscribed
2003 - In Danger
Type
Cultural
Criteria
1 2 3 4 6
Categories
Cultural Landscape - Relict Religious structure - Buddhist
Link
By ID

Site History

2003 In Danger

"suffered from abandonment, military action and dynamite explosions. Parts of the site are inaccessible due to the presence of antipersonnel mines."

2003 Inscribed

1983 Deferred

Deferred as conditions under which recommendation made not yet fulfilled

Locations

The site has 8 locations

Bamiyan Valley: Bamiyan Cliff including niches of the 38 meter Buddha, seated Buddhas, 55 meter Buddha and surrounding caves Bamiyan District, Bamiyan Province, Afghanistan
Bamiyan Valley: Kakrak Valley caves including the niche of the standing Buddha Bamiyan District, Bamiyan Province, Afghanistan
Bamiyan Valley: Qoul-I Akram Caves in the Fuladi Valley Bamiyan District, Bamiyan Province, Afghanistan
Bamiyan Valley: Kalai Ghamai Caves in the Fuladi Valley Bamiyan District, Bamiyan Province, Afghanistan
Bamiyan Valley: Shahr-i-Zuhak Bamiyan District, Bamiyan Province, Afghanistan
Bamiyan Valley: Qallay Kaphari A Bamiyan District, Bamiyan Province, Afghanistan
Bamiyan Valley: Qallay Kaphari B Bamiyan District, Bamiyan Province, Afghanistan
Bamiyan Valley: Shahr-i-Ghulghulah Bamiyan District, Bamiyan Province, Afghanistan

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