I remember these ba$tards doing this. Driving out there with their little white pickups full of RPGs and having a grand ol' time blasting away at these ancient statues that ancient people labored with love for so long to create. And all in the name of Allan. Another example of their religion's tolerance. So impotent and insecure that all they can do is destroy and celebrate it.The giant Buddhas of Bamiyan, once painted in bright colors, remained silent sentinels as they reacquired the hues of the sandstone cliffs from which they were carved.
The statues, which looked upon a visually stunning region of central Afghanistan for about 1,500 years, have been gone for 10 years, victims of the Taliban
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Wednesday will begin three days of meetings in Paris about a long-range plan for preserving the snow-capped valley's cultural heritage and the remains of the Buddhas, which overlooked a Buddhist monastery.
"They were destroyed in the context of the conflict devastating Afghanistan and to undermine the power of culture as a cohesive force for the Afghan people," said UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova in a statement Monday.
A German professor believes reconstructing the smaller figure is possible.
UNESCO, which is nearing the completion of an effort to preserve the Buddha niches in Bamiyan and wall paintings, does not favor rebuilding the figures.
I notice they are part of the "UN".
But it does want to protect the 5,000 fragments of what were once among the world's great artistic and religious treasures.