📷 Ali Azad · Pexels

Where in the world

Afghanistan

Buddhas of Bamiyan

Ancient India (Gupta) · Afghanistan

Field notes

civilizations: Ancient India (Gupta)
types: Cave painting · Sanctuary
occupied: 550 CE — 650 CE
country: Afghanistan

The site

The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two colossal Buddhist reliefs carved into a cliff in Afghanistan's Bamiyan Valley, the larger reaching 55 metres and dated to around 618 CE. Expressions of Gandharan Buddhism blending classical Greco-Buddhist style, they towered over the valley for some fourteen centuries. In March 2001 the Taliban destroyed both statues; the site was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.

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