Afghan 07: The Buddhas of Bamiyan, a destruction of heritage...

"Riches do not delight us so much with their possession, as torment us with their loss..." - Dick Gregory

(The great Buddhas of Bamiyan)

Day 07: 10 October 2024 (Thursday)

Route: KABUL / BAMYAN
Hotel: 4-Burj Highland Hotel, Bamiyan

This morning the elevator was out of order. We had to climb the stairs to have breakfast at the dining hall on the 5th floor.

 

(A simple Afghan breakfast)

At the hotel lobby, met with Abdul Matin Mohamad Azeem, a former Afghan student in UIA. He was the champion for the Pidato Antarabangsa Bahasa Melayu (PABM) Piala Perdana Menteri 2017 at Putrajaya International Convention Centre. There were a few Thailand tourists staying in the hotel.

(Abdul Matin from UIA)

(Thailand tourists, decently dressed)

This morning we would be heading to Bamiyan in two cars. The first car started earlier to buy a walking stick at the bazaar. By 10.30 am the second car departed and we met somewhere at the outskirt of Kabul. 

(Daily workers waiting for odd-job opportunities)

The journey from the Afghan capital city to Bamiyan used to take at least 13 hours, but thanks to the new road it can now be made in two and half hours. Except for every few kilometers or so there are small sections missing, or badly damaged so we had to drive cautiously on the bumpy off-roads.

(The shepherd and his flock of goats)

(A teacher cycling to his madrasah)

(Pretty Afghan girls walking to school)

(The boys hitching a ride on a lorry)

(Car pooling in Afghanistan)

Stopped for lunch at a restaurant located half-way to Bamiyan. We had crispy fried fish which was tasty and delicious, eaten with pilaf and bread. The restaurant was located on the highland with a background view of fresh snow capped mountains. Met two bikers enjoying the twisties of Hisa-i-Awali Bihsud.

 

(Snow covered mountains)

(Two bikers enjoying the terrain of Hisa-i-Awali Bihsud)

Bamiyan is the home of the world's oldest oil paintings. At the end of the 10th century, there was a Buddhist culture in which several thousand Buddhist monks lived in caves carved into the mountain. Bamiyan is often described as “the place of shining light.” The rolling hills of the Bamiyan valley offer an austere and beautiful landscape of variegated colors.

(Enclosed between the high mountains of the Hindu Kush)

(Rugged terrain of Bamiyan Mountains)

The central valley sits 2,500 meters above the sea level. Two rivers flow into the valley from sources in the Kuh-e-Baba Mountain: The Kakrak River to the east and the Foladi River to the west. The principal archaeological sites are located in the long east-west central valley of Bamiyan and in the Kakrak and Foladi River valleys.

 

(Bamiyan beautiful landscape)

(Fertile lands of Bamiyan Valley)

The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two possibly 6th-century monumental Buddhist statues in Afghanistan. Located 130 km northwest of Kabul, at an elevation of 2,500 m. The carbon dating of the structural components of the Buddhas has determined that the smaller 38 m "Eastern Buddha" was built around 570 CE, and the larger 55 m "Western Buddha" was built around 618 CE, which would date both to the time the Hephthalites ruled the region.

(Interval security checks before entering Bamiyan) 

(Do not litter and keep Bamiyan clean signage)

As a UNESCO World Heritage Site of historical, it was a holy site for Buddhists on the Silk Road. Carved into the cliffs in the 6th and 7th centuries were two colossal statues, once the largest standing Buddha carvings in the world. Unfortunately, they were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.

(Afghan children climbing the rocks)

(The site of the Western Buddha Statue)

(The hole remains where the statue was)

(The Hindu Kush as the back drop)

Next we drove to the historical Gholghola City or Shahr-e Gholghola. Gholghola City is also known as City of Screams, City of Woe or City of Sorrows. It is an archaeological site located near the town of Bamyan.

(Gholghola City also known as City of Screams)

(A long slow walk to the summit)

The Siege of Bamiyan took place here in 1221 during the Mongol pursuit of Jalal ad-Din Mingburnu, the last ruler of the Khwarezmian Empire. Mutukan, son of Chagatai Khan and favorite grandson, was killed in battle by an arrow from the besieged walls, which led Genghis to massacre the population of the city and its surrounding region. There were a few other versions to the story of this City of Sorrow.

(A panoramic view of the valley and Hindu Kush Mountains)

(Remnants of a tower at the summit)

(The sun is setting over the horizon)

It was already dark when we left the ruins of Shahr-e Gholghola and drove to 4-Burj Highland Hotel. The weather was 6°C and dropped further during the night. Dinner was a tasty spicy Afghani Chicken Karahi cooked by our local guide, Mr. Hayatullah.

(The night view of Bamiyan valley from our hotel)

(Delicious home-cooked chicken karahi with bread for dinner)

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