The buddhas are seen in Afghanistan "mainly as a way to increase tourism, especially from Japan and China", Marquis said. The Bamiyan valley was put on UNESCO's list of endangered areas in 2003.

The Avukana Buddha statue and inset, the Bamiyan Buddha statue Bactrian images of the Buddha ... artists who crossed the Kabul valley which linked the Southern branch of the Great Northern Highway ...

The illustration shows the colored appearance of the Bamiyan Buddhas’ robes at the end of the 10th century. Parts damaged in later periods, which cannot be reconstructed, are made visible.

A Hazara Afghan family looks on in front of their cave in the old city of Bamiyan, some 200km from Kabul. - AFP Bamiyan - The ancient caves lining the Bamiyan valley in central Afghanistan were ...