The Buddhas of Bamiyan

The Buddhas of Bamiyan were carved directly into the cliff face of the Bamiyan Valley, which lay along the Silk Road in what is now central Afghanistan. The Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang described them during his pilgrimage in 630 AD, noting that the larger figure was decorated with gold and jewels. The statues' niches featured elaborate painted murals — some of the earliest known oil paintings in the world, predating European use of the technique by several centuries. The figures represented the Vairocana and Shakyamuni Buddhas and served as the centrepieces of a vast monastery complex that housed thousands of monks. The Bamiyan Valley was a major Buddhist centre from the 2nd century AD until the Islamic conquest of Afghanistan in the 9th century. The statues survived over a millennium of subsequent rule, including Genghis Khan's invasion in 1221, because successive rulers — including Muslim ones — recognised their cultural and economic value as landmarks. In February 2001, Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar issued a decree ordering the destruction of all non-Islamic statues in Afghanistan. Despite international appeals from UNESCO, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and numerous governments, the Taliban spent weeks destroying the Buddhas with dynamite, anti-aircraft guns, and rockets. The destruction was broadcast on international media and became a symbol of cultural extremism.