The Death of the Buddhas

The valley of Bamiyan, a vision of Emerald green, stretching in between the vast cliffs that framed the landscape. It is tucked away from the bustle of the larger cities, but it was not an isolated area, for within this valley, there were two pieces of splendour from a time long past. Standing tall on opposite ends of the valley, watching over the land, are two colossal Buddhas, carved into the tan cliff-face. Though their once golden gilded faces have again returned to the original color of the rock itself, and worn away, they are still wonders to behold. At least they were until one faithful day where thousands watched a video cast in horror as a tragedy unfolded.

On March 12, 2001, the Bamiyan valley that was home to two magnificent 1,600 year old Buddhist statues would be forever changed. They were among the largest, the one known as Salsal to the locals was the tallest in the world, standing at nearly 180 feet tall. They were like the guardians of the valley, overlooking all from their opposite ends, until the Taliban decided that their existence was blasphemy. And though the world was crying out in protest, this group, comparably smaller then everyone against them, would change the face of the valley forever.

The camera was positioned so the whole cliff was visible, along with the statue...a few voices were heard, then suddenly, a burst of orange lights up the screen, followed shortly by a great plume of smoke. It rose in the air like a smog, blocking out all visibility for a moment, until the reality of what had been done became apparent.

The ancient statues...were a pile of rubble. The carved out faces where they stood now barren and abandoned. 1,600 year old idols lost to the world, and the people who lived there in the valley itself. Why did this have to happen? This project will go through all the reasons why, and a few events that led up to this ultimate act of destruction.