Taliban (2021 onwards) claim efforts to preserve Afghanistan’s ancient, including pre-Islamic, heritage

Art and Culture Snippets

Buddhas of Bamiyan

Location: Bamiyan Valley, Hazarajat region, Central Afghanistan.

Description: Two monumental statues carved into sandstone cliffs.

Height: 115 feet and 174 feet.

Larger statue: Represents Buddha Vairochana.

Smaller statue: Depicts Buddha Shakyamuni.

Local Names:

Salsal: “The light shines through the universe” (larger statue).

Shamama: “Queen Mother” (smaller statue).

Period: 5th–6th century AD; once the tallest standing Buddhas globally.

Destruction: Dynamited by Taliban in March 2001, causing global outrage.