Bamiyan Buddhas

Bamiyan Buddhas refer to two large statues of Buddha in Afghanistan that date back to the 5th century AD. These statues- Salsal (meaning: light shines through the universe) and Shamama ( meaning: Queen Mother), which measured 55 m and 38 m respectively, were in the Bamiyan Valley and represented a confluence of various artistic styles: Hellenistic, Gupta and Sassanian. In 2001, these statues were destroyed by the Taliban. Recently, these monuments were recreated using 3D projections to mark the anniversary of the annihilation.