Feature: Afghans want to see giant Buddha statues restored in Bamiyan

Photo taken on March 16, 2022 shows the site of the Bamiyan Buddha statue in Bamiyan, central Afghanistan.(Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

BAMIYAN, Afghanistan, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The Bamiyan province in central Afghanistan was once a popular tourist destination and the home of giant Buddha statues when the war-torn country was peaceful half century ago.

With the end of the war last year, the hope among Afghans for rebuilding the Buddha statues as a tourist attraction has increased.

"I have worked here for two years, repairing and restoring the Salsal (the local name for the Buddha). My task was collecting pieces of the Buddhas," Anar Gul Ahmadi told Xinhua. Anar has lived in Bamiyan for her whole life.

"More than 500 domestic and foreign tourists visited Bamiyan and the giant Buddhas daily in the past years" but the number of visitors has drastically reduced this year, she said.

The 53-meter and 35-meter tall Buddha statues, with thousands of caves for monks around them, were more than 1,500 years old and reminders of the Buddhist civilization in the region. The statues were dynamited by the Taliban in 2001.

Some countries have promised to rebuild the Buddha statues but so far nothing has been done. "I'm sure that the people would help if anybody started restoration work. I am hopeful to see the Buddhas rebuilt," she said.

The picturesque Bamiyan had been badly damaged over the past decades of war, foreign invasion and civil strife.

"These areas represent the history of our nation and I personally love them very much," Bamiyan University student Omid Hussain said. "I like Buddha statues very much and I have visited them many times."

Saiful Rahman Mohammadi, the director of information and culture of Bamiyan province, said, "Efforts have been made to protect and preserve historical monuments. We have also assigned people to protect the monuments in Bamiyan province."

He said that since the Taliban takeover of the country in August 2021, "all the monuments have been safe, not Buddhas, nor Gholghola nor Zuhak have been damaged. We are trying to fix everything and preserve every cultural heritage." 

People visit the site of the Bamiyan Buddha statue in Bamiyan, central Afghanistan, March 17, 2022.(Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

Photo taken on March 16, 2022 shows the site of the Bamiyan Buddha statue in Bamiyan, central Afghanistan.(Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)

People walk near the site of the Bamiyan Buddha statue in Bamiyan, central Afghanistan, March 16, 2022.(Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua)