[chris]

Bamiyan Buddhas, blown up by the Taliban in March 2001

The cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamiyan Valley represent the artistic and religious developments which from the 1st to the 13th centuries characterized ancient Bakhtria, integrating various cultural influences into the Gandhara school of Buddhist art. The area contains numerous Buddhist monastic ensembles and sanctuaries, as well as fortified edifices from the Islamic period. The site is also testimony to the tragic destruction by the Taliban of the two standing Buddha statues, which shook the world in March 2001.

Threats to the Site:

The Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger at the 27th session of the World Heritage Committee simultaneously with its inscription on the World Heritage List. The property is in a fragile state of conservation considering that it has suffered from abandonment, military action and dynamite explosions. The major dangers include: risk of imminent collapse of the Buddha niches with the remaining fragments of the statues, further deterioration of still existing mural paintings in the caves, looting and illicit excavation. Parts of the site are inaccessible due to the presence of antipersonnel mines.

[mikebob]

In India, where Buddhism is largely practiced, there still stands many Islamic monuments...
In China, where Islam is rarely practiced, there still stands islamic monuments...

Can a religion that provokes be truly a religion of peace?
Buddhism is a religion of peace.
Even the 'extremists' would rather let their religion die then to raise a hand in aggression.

[snuff]

All religion should be wiped out of peoples minds.

[eskimo408]

Originally Posted by snuff ↗

All religion should be wiped out of peoples minds.

Well religion helps people who are afraid to realize the reality of the universe. who want to be able to say, "they are never alone". I see and like your point but instead of wiping it out of our minds, why not learn from it? sadly people will never rid religion from themselves. people are afraid of living in the dark. Though there will always be a few who are not afraid.

[mikebob]

Our species can never the joy that freedom brings as long as there is religion. Although religion has taught us to realize the reality of the universe; to base such a fundamental belief on an idea, that may be fallible, can only lead to disaster. If you read the graphic novel, 'the watchmen' you may understand the point im trying to make.

[güttsfükk]

UNESCO: Destroyed Bamiyan Buddhas Nearly Impossible To Rebuild

Jennifer Glasse
Thu, 24-Mar-2011


Ten years after the Taliban destroyed the giant Buddha statues at Bamiyan, a UNESCO meeting concluded the cultural landscape of Bamiyan must be preserved. UNESCO’s ambassador to Afghanistan says the ultimate decision is up to the Afghan government but that rebuilding the statues will be difficult if not impossible.

The two giant Buddhas, carved into a stone cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the 6th century, were one of Afghanistan’s greatest monuments and the largest example of standing Buddhas in the world until the Taliban destroyed them a decade ago.

Since the fall of the Taliban, historians and archaeologists have debated the possibility and merits of rebuilding the Buddhas.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, held a conference this month to discuss their fate. Shigeru Aoyagi, UNESCO’s ambassador to Afghanistan, says it is up to the Afghan government to decide what happens at the site, but that reconstruction may not be an option.

"Well, technically it’s very difficult, the fragments are not left in enough quantity, for example especially the surface of the Buddha is a very big problem," he said.

Aoyagi says reconstruction is not totally ruled out, but specialists are not optimistic.

"There might be some way, if the government decides, if the government wishes for the reconstruction, [but] notably, the bigger one, it’s very, very tough, difficult, almost impossible, that’s the observation of the experts," he said.

In the case of the smaller Buddha, which was about 37-meters-high, Aoyagi says there are more pieces to assemble, but still not enough to rebuild it completely.
For the eastern part, there might be some measure to reassemble these fragments and then make something symbolize the tragic history of this destruction," he said.

He says UNESCO and Afghan officials have discussed another option.

"The possibility of setting up the Bamiyan Museum, which can preserve these fragments, rich artifacts, as well as tell the people about the [tragic] history of the Bamiyan Buddhas," Aoyagi said.

While UNESCO does not support the rebuilding of the Buddhas, it and the Afghan government do want to ensure the statues and their cultural importance, are understood and remembered.

Source : http://www.pukhtoonistangazette.com/...486&category=0

[PoetsOfTheFall]

What a pity

[NEVERBACKZ]

yeah remember this bn on the news. Very sad indeed

[cutler]

[observant]

LOL the funny part about this is that most people in the Middle East today will say that there were no monuments or grand anythings before Islam.
Maybe this happened before..perhaps around the 7th century?
Maybe this is why there's no trace of pre-islamic grandure?