The Buddhas of Bamiyan: Destruction, Memory, and Cultural Loss
High in the rugged cliffs of Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Valley, two colossal statues once gazed out over a land crisscrossed by ancient trade routes. These Buddhas, carved in the 6th century, were more than stone giants; they were silent witnesses to centuries of human creativity, faith, and turmoil. Their sudden destruction in 2001 sent shockwaves around ...
