BAMIYAN, Afghanistan — On this day 24 years ago, the Taliban carried out one of the most infamous acts of cultural destruction in modern history, demolishing the ancient Buddhas of Bamiyan, two towering statues that had stood for centuries as symbols of Afghanistan’s rich Buddhist heritage.
On March 11, 2001, Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar ordered the destruction of the statues, known as Salsal and Shahmama, which had been carved into the cliffs of central Afghanistan in the 6th century. Taliban fighters spent two days relentlessly shelling the monuments before finally reducing them to rubble with explosives.
In the weeks leading up to the destruction, international efforts were made to persuade the Taliban to spare the Buddhas. According to Mullah Mohammad Omar, the Taliban, and Afghanistan, a book by former Taliban spokesman Abdul Hai Mutmaen, a delegation of prominent Islamic scholars—including Yusuf al-Qaradawi—traveled to Kandahar at UNESCO’s request, with Qatari mediation, to plead for the preservation of the statues. Their efforts were unsuccessful.
“Regarding the Bamiyan statues, Mullah Omar, the scholars, and other officials knew that they were not being worshipped by anyone,” the book states. “But maintaining affection for them as historical artifacts, as a remembrance of the past, is an act prohibited by Islamic law.”
Noor Mohammad Saqib, who was then the head of the Taliban’s Supreme Court, reportedly told the delegation that enforcing religious edicts was more important than preserving ancient relics.
The Buddhas: lost history and economic impact
The Buddhas of Bamiyan were among the largest standing Buddha statues in the world, with Salsal measuring 53 meters (174 feet) tall, carved in 554 AD, and Shahmama standing at 35 meters (115 feet), completed in 507 AD. The statues were testaments to the region’s Buddhist past and had drawn scholars and tourists for decades.
Residents of Bamiyan say the destruction of the statues was not just a cultural loss but also an economic one.
“The Buddhas were a key part of our cultural heritage,” said Amir Ali, a Bamiyan resident. “They played an important role in attracting tourists and generating national revenue, but the Taliban destroyed them without regard for any of that.”
“The destruction of the Buddhas was an unforgettable tragedy,” said Ana Mostafavi, another local resident. “When the statues were intact, tourists visited, hotels and shops thrived, and people had an income. Now, there is nothing left.”
Following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Abdullah Sarhadi, a former Taliban commander believed to have played a role in the destruction of the statues, was appointed governor of Bamiyan. In an interview with The Washington Post, Sarhadi defended Mullah Omar’s decision, suggesting that tourists should focus on other attractions instead.
According to Foreign Policy, Sarhadi was instrumental in the demolition of the Buddhas, overseeing the military operations that led to their destruction. Today, Taliban forces are stationed at the site where the statues once stood.
New restrictions
While the Taliban destroyed the Buddhas during their first rule, their second rule has brought further restrictions to Bamiyan. In August 2023, Khalid Hanafi, the Taliban’s acting minister for the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, banned women from visiting Band-e Amir, a famous national park in the region, citing concerns over Islamic modesty.
As Afghanistan marks another anniversary of the destruction of the Buddhas, residents and historians continue to mourn the loss of a cultural treasure that once symbolized the country’s diverse history and its place along the ancient Silk Road.
