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Name : Buddhas of Bamiyan

What they are : Two monolithic statue carved into the sides of sandstone drop

A massive statue of Buddha carved into a sandstone cliff.

One of the two monumental Buddha statues carved into a sandstone cliff in Afghanistan.

Where they are from : Bamiyan Valley , in central Afghanistan

When they were made : Sixth century A.D.

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What they tell us about the past times :

The Buddhas of Bamiyan were a span of massive statues of attired anatomy , knight the Eastern Buddha and the Western Buddha , that once stood along the Silk Road , a meshing of trade routes that crisscross Eurasia from 130 B.C. to A.D. 1453 .

TheBuddhasoriginally bear 125 foot ( 38 cadence ) and 180 foot ( 55 megabyte ) marvelous , severally , overlooking the Bamiyan Valley below , concord toHarvard University .

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But in 2001 , the duet — which had stood for more than 1,500 eld — were destroy by the Taliban , whichdeclared the Buddhas un - Islamic .

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The twin statues were part of an country emphasise with Buddhistic monastery , chapel and sanctuaries , all of which were cuddle inside cave . Many of the caves were elaborately embellish with painting of Buddha figures , with additional cave found geezerhood after the Buddhas were destruct . However , piffling is known about who carved the statues , according toUNESCO .

Now , more than 20 years after the statues were destroy , all that remains of the web site — which was once a pop Buddhist pilgrimage terminus — are two identical cavity in the rock wall where the statues once fend , offering a persistent reminder of what was once there .

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