Demolished Buddhist Relics

Written by Muhammad Omar Iftikhar • January 2011

Afghanistan is home to ancient relics, monuments and citadels; the most historic being the minaret and archeological remains of Jam and the cultural landscapes of the Bamyan Valley. Among these ancient sites, there were certain statues that stood tall for centuries, exemplifying the craftiness of those hands which built them. These were the two Buddha statues of Bamyan, ‘Vairocana’ and ‘Sakyamuni’; measuring 180 feet and 121 feet respectively, situated in the Bamyan Valley.

Regarded as the largest standing Buddha statues in the world, they were carved out of sandstone cliffs and painted to highlight facial expressions and clothing. They were documented as a World Heritage site by UNESCO along with the entire Bamyan Valley, and represented a prominent regional cultural landmark. The city of Bamyan, largest town in central Afghanistan, was once part of the Buddhist Kushan Empire. By the 4th century, the city of Bamyan was home to one of the largest monastic communities in the entire Central Asian region.

The exact period in which these statues were carved is still unknown, but according to some geologists and studies, they were built between the 3rd and 7th century, during the reign of the Kushans who were guided by the native Buddhist monks.

These statues represented a classic blend of Buddhist and Greek art often referred as the Greco-Buddhist art, which unified the Buddhism and the Classical Greek philosophies after they originated in Central Asia centuries ago. This Greco-Buddhist art has been characterized by the strong Hellenistic art, which represented the beginning of the Hellenistic period in 323 BC after the death of Alexander the Great; the era when art experienced a revolution as an artistic sense of freedom was developed. It was during this same era when Buddha’s first representations in human form were carved in stone.

In March 2001, the Taliban commenced the demolition of these Buddha statues. It has been observed that this annihilation of ancient statues had little or perhaps no link with religion, but it was fairly associated with the ideology the Taliban’s upheld. The main reason for this destruction was revenge as the Bamyan province was home to Taliban’s main opposition, the Northern Alliance.

The Taliban destroyed these cultural heritage sites to provoke their opposition and to humiliate them. Taliban’s motive behind this damage was that the Buddha statues were idols being worshiped by the Buddhists, and in Islam it is forbidden to create or worship such idols.

This interpretation was not completely true, for the Bamyan statues were a reflection of the Buddhist concept of attaining pure enlightenment and reflected Buddhism’s century old heritage. But in reality, the Taliban only reiterated the actions of other civilizations - when invaders in the past conquered land and destroyed their local heritage to mark their victory.

As far as the rebuilding of these Buddha statues are concerned, it would take years and perhaps numerous generations before the world witnesses the colossal statues standing again with pride. Funds have been allocated and certain organizations are working on the reconstruction, but until the country gets peace, rebuilding of the statues and their fate hangs in the balance. The two hollow spaces in the Bamyan Valley which once had the giant Buddha statues would keep echoing the evidence of a rich cultural heritage, which once flourished.