The tragic destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas, 2001
The tragic destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas, 2001 The Bamiyan Buddhas were two giant statues of Buddhas located in the Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan. The Buddhas were likely sculpted in the 6th or 7th century. The Bamiyan Valley is located along the Silk Road, an important trade route through Asia, which allowed Buddhists to settle there. Buddhists do not need to worship at a temple; they can worship freely and often create idols or shrines of their own. The small holes in the cliffs are little caves the Buddhists carved out to live in. There were two Buddha statues. One was 175 feet, and the other was 125 feet. At the feet of the statues, there was space to walk around them in circles. This is called Circumambulation, and it involves Buddhists walking around an object of worship in circles, an essential ritual in their religion. Both statues were adorned with gems and other precious metals at their inception. Different merchants passing the Buddhas would pray for prosperity and blesse...