Overview
Welcome to the Valley of GodsBamyan is an old historical city that lies on the Silk Road which runs through the Hindu Kush mountain region in the Bamyan Valley. The valley used to be part of the trading route that connected Europe to India and China. It was the site of several Buddhist monasteries and was a thriving center for religion, philosophy, and art. Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, Xuanzang, visited the site on 30 April 630 and described Bamyan as a flourishing center “with more than ten monasteries and more than a thousand monks”. The monks lived as hermits in small caves carved into the side of the Bamyan cliffs. The monks used to embellish their caves with religious statues and elaborate brightly colored frescoes. These caves hold some of the world's first oil paintings dating back 14 centuries.
So, it is here, to the Bamyan Valley, that thousands of tourists have come from around the world to see the two monumental statues carved into the side of these cliffs - the two famous Buddhas dating back to the 6th century. These statues were the largest examples of standing Buddha carvings in the world. Xuanzang also noted that both Buddha figures were “decorated with gold and fine jewels” (Wriggins 1995). Intriguingly, he also mentions a third, even larger reclining statue of a Buddha, which to this day has not been discovered. Tragically, these statues were destroyed in March 2001 by the Taliban, but tourists still come to see this historical site and marvel at the paintings inside the caves.
The attraction of Bamyan is not limited to the valley and its Buddhas, as this historical city has many attractions for interested tourists. You can’t ignore the City of Screams and its history.
Zuhak City, which was founded between 500-600 AD by the Hephthalites, is also of great historical interest.
No trip to this area would be complete without visiting one of the most breathtaking and awe-inspiring scenic areas in Afghanistan - Band-e-Amir. It is the first national park of Afghanistan and with its stunning cobalt blue lakes and natural travertine dams it is a photographer’s dream. This area is the heart of Afghanistan's tourism industry.
