CS 1: Case Study 1: The Buddhas of Bâmiyân—An Unsustainable Loss

Abstract

In between the 9th and 11th March 2002, in Afghanistan an unprecedented attack against the World Heritage took place. The explosion of two huge Buddha Statues carved in the rocky walls of Bâmiyân valley, 230 km far from the capital Kabul, ordered by the Taliban religious chief Mullah Omar. The sculptures, strictly linked to the surrounding Environment, dated back to the Fifth Century A.D and they represented an authentic cultural treasure for the Country, heritage of a glorious past thanks to the Silk Road that allowed the peaceful meetings among the Persian, Greek, Hindu, Buddhist and Islamic cultures.

Source: Mounir Bouchenaki, Archaeologist, former Director of ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property), former UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture and Special Adviser to the Director-General of UNESCO.