Bamyan (the place of shining light)
From BAMYAN OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Afghanistan and the history of Bamiyan:
Afghanistan‘s history can be traced back to when the land was once called “Ariana”.
Afghanistan was influenced by different cultures and civilizations. Situated at a crossroad of civilizations, Afghanistan’s unique culture was born from a mixture of indigenous and foreign elements.
Bamiyan means “the place of shining light”. The rolling hills of the Bamiyan valley are lined in variegated colors. The central valley of Bamiyan is located at 2,500 meters above sea level. Two rivers flow into the valley from sources in the Kuhe-e-Baba: The Kakrak River to the east, and the Foladi River to the west. The principle archaeological sites are located in the long east-west central valley of Bamiyan and in the Kakrak and Foladi river valleys.
Bamiyan’s central cultural monuments were the two Buddha statues carved at the eastern and western ends of a high cliff facing the central valley. Some thousand caves are also cut into the cliff face and decorated with a rich variety of murals. The Buddhist art of Bamiyan, which enjoyed a renaissance in central Afghanistan after the collapse of the earlier Gandharan culture, spread to and influenced various countries along the Silk Road.
Cultural and Archaeological Values of Bamiyan:
The Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley was inscribed on the “List of World Heritage in Danger” and the World Heritage List at the 27th session of the World Heritage Committee in 2003. The property is in a fragile state of conservation having suffered from neglect, military action, and dynamite explosions. In 2003, the major dangers included: risk of imminent collapse of the Buddha niches with the remaining fragments of the statues, further deterioration of still existing mural paintings in the caves, looting and illicit excavation.
4-7th centuries , Bamyuan seen by Xuan Zang
The name Bamyan first appeared in historical records around the late 4th century . The first detailed description of the region did not appear until around the year 630 , when a Chinese monk named Xuan Zang visited Bamyan for about 15 days , on this way to India , In this travel record ,Da Tang Xi Yu Ji he mentions the kingdom "is situated in the midst of the Snowy Mountains . The people inhabit towns either in the mountains or the valleys , according to circumstances ."The description reveals that the people of Bamyan probably loved in caves dug into the cliffs . Xuan Zanf also mentioned that the Bamyan kingdom "produces wheat and few flowers of fruits . Its suitable for cattle ,and affords pasture for many sheep and horses ." Thus , by the seventh century , the landscape of Bamyan consisted of thousands of caves dug into the Great Cliff and large grain field in the flat land below.
Two statues of Buddha were also reported in details in Xuan Zanag's , Da Tang Xi Yu Ji . He notes that the West Buddha's "golden hues sparkle in every side , and its precious ornaments dazzle the eyes by their brightness ." This indicates that the statues of Buddha were lavishly decorated .Furthermore , Xuan Zang's description mentioned that there were 50 to 60 Buddhist temples with several thousand monks. When hs visited Bamyan in the early seventh century , Bamyan was at its speak as a Buddhist religious center, with the sratues of Buddha and numerous cave-temples.
Xuan Zang also wrotes that "the people remain faithful to the three Treasures (Buddha , law and Priesthood ) at the top , down to various gods and respect them most sincerely ", which suggests that different religions besides Buddhism were also practiced in Bamyan . When Xuan Zang visited Bamyan the area was very prosperous as a transportation crossroad , connecting many different areas of Afghanistan and beyond.
Between the 8-9th centuries :
The Islamic period
In the early eight century , the Silla monk Hui Chao visited Bamyan , and described it as an area where Buddhism flourished . At the same time , he wrote that the area was not subject to any other countries and not been invaded , thanks to Bamyan's strong army . Not long after Hui Chao left Bamyan , however , the king of Bamyan surrendered to the abbasid caliphate . After this time Islam gradually spread over . The latest scientific analysis has revealed that some of the Buddhist mural paintings of Bamyan date back to the early fifth century . At least until this period , Buddhism , Islam and other religions coexisted in the region . During the late ninth century , the Saffarid dynasty (861-910) demolished many Buddhist temples and statues and statues / From that time, Buddhist cultural in bamyan gradually declined.
After the Saffarid period , Bamyan was ruled by various Islamic dynasties including the Samanids , the Ghaznavids and the Ghurids . According to the Arabic and Persian historical texts , Bamyan remained a major city with a fortress under Islamic rule. The prosperity of Bamyan came to an end in 1221 when the Mongol armies , lead by Chinggis Khan invaded . During the battle in Bamyan , the Mongols destroyed the strong fortress completely . The ruins of the fortress are now known as shahr-I Gholghola . After the Mongol destruction of the fortress , Bamyan rarely appeared in historical texts until the 198th century
19-20centuries
In the 19th century , Bamyan reappeares in the historical record . Many expeditions entered the region . In the early 19th Century . Alexendar Burnes and Charles Masson visited Bamyan and sketched the statues of Buddha . In the late 19th century based in Xuan Zang's Da Tang Xi Yu Ji scholars such as Talbot ,Simpson , and Mailtland investigated the Bamyan area.
In the early 20th century , the Delegation Archeologique Francaise en Afghanistan DAFA began the first full-scale archaeological investigation of Bamyan.
Under the supervision of Alfred Foucher , Andre Godard and Josef Hackin , DAFA researched the mural painting and architecture of Bamyan in great detail , and published two comprehensive reports and several articles.
In the late 20th century , Japanese teams from Nagoya ,Kyoto and Seijo Universities visited the area with Zemaryalai Tarzi of the Institute of Archaeology in Afghanistan . In addition to archaeological and art history investigations ,conservation and restoration of the Bamyan site was carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Owing to such long-term international investigations and research , Bamyan became known as the crossroad of civilizations from India, Persia and Central Asia. After 1979 , the country descended into a state of the war , which contributed to preventing further academic research at the site . In 1997 , the Taliban regime took over the Bamyan valley and threatened to demolish the site.
2001 t0 the Present in Bamyan
The demolishment and the illegal exportation of cultural heritage
In march 2001 , the eyes of the world were on Bamyan as the Taliban dynamited its monumental Buddha statues. They were destroyed following decree proclaimed by Mullah Omar in February 2001 ordering the destruction of all non-Islamic statues and tombs considered offensive to Islam.
When Mullah Omar announced this decree ,UNESCO immediately issued appeals to Taliban leaders through the international press , exhorting them to preserve Afghan cultural heritage . The Director- General addressed a personal letter to the Taliban leader on 28 February . He also obtained the full support of many Islamic countries for UNESCO's activities to save the Afghan cultural heritage.
On 1 march a Special Representative of the Director –General left for Islamabad ,Kandahar ,Kabul , the united Arab emirates , Qatar and Saudi Arabia . A number of Muslim religious leaders from Egypt ,Iraq and Pakistan intervened at the request of UNESCO , issuing "fatwas" against the Taliban's order. The Director-General personally contacted the Presidents of the Egypt and Pakistan ,as well as of the Organization of the Islamic Conference , all of whom tried to use the Taliban to cancel the order.
Following these interventions , a delegation of 11 international Muslim leaders went to Kandahar to try convince the Taliban that the Koran does not prescribe the destruction of statues . Nevertheless , all these political and religious interventions proved to be in vain , and the Taliban destroyed not only the statues of Buddha at Bamyan , but also a large number of statues throughout Afghanistan.
After the destruction , in December 2001 , an international conference of "Ulema" , Islamic religious leaders , was jointly organized by UNESCO . The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) , The Islamic Scientific ,Educational and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and the Arab League Educational , Scientific and Cultural Organization (ALESCO) , to examine the position of the Muslim world towards the preservation of Islamic and non Islamic heritage. This conference resulted in a clear declaration of principles in favor of the protection of cultural heritage, including statues , that can be appealed to in the future.
UNESCO Safeguarding Project-1:
UNESCO responds firmly to the challenge of rehabilitating Afghanistan’s endangered cultural heritage. The safeguarding of all aspects of cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, including museums, monuments, archaeological sites, music, art, and traditional crafts, is of particular significance in terms of strengthening cultural identity and a sense of national integrity.
Entrusted by the Afghan Government to coordinate all international efforts aiming to safeguard Afghanistan’s cultural heritage, the organization established an International Coordination Committee (ICC) in 2003. Chaired by the Afghan Minister of Information and Culture, it consists of Afghan and international specialists. The aim is to raise funds and to issue concrete recommendations to allow the efficient coordination of actions to safeguard Afghanistan’s heritage to the highest international standards in key areas, such as the development of a long-term strategy, capacity building, the implementation of the Conventions for World Heritage, and Preventing the illicit Traffic of Cultural Property, national inventories and documentation, as well as the rehabilitation of the National Museum in Kabul, and the safeguarding of the sites of Jam, Herat and Bamiyan.
Much Discussion has taken place in Afghanistan and all over the world about the future of this site, revolving around the question of whether the two statues of Buddha should be reconstructed. The 107 Participants at the First International Seminar on the Rehabilitation of Afghanistan’s Cultural Heritage, organized by UNESCO in March 2002, as well as the ICC, clearly recognized that the first emergency priority is to stabilize the cliff face with its niches and caves. Noting that the decision whether to engage in the reconstruction of the Buddha statues is a matter to be settled by the government and people of Afghanistan, it was agreed that reconstruction is not a priority as long as humanitarian aid for the Afghan people is urgently needed. Furthermore, it was emphasized that the authenticity, integrity, and historical importance of this great site need to be memorialized in an appropriate way, and that reconstruction of the statues therefore requires further careful consideration.
The Preservation of the Bamiyan site is one of the most important UNESCO projects in Afghanistan, for which more that $1.8 million have been generously donated by the Government of Japan. The following activities have been undertaken within this project.
UNESCO Safeguarding Project-II
Preparation of Preliminary Master Plan:
It was considered essential to develop a Master Plan to ensure the overall preservation of this large site. National Research Institute for Cultural Properties , Tokyo (NRICP), has carried out archaeological soundings and explorations of the Bamiyan valley and its surroundings in order to specify the archaeological zone and the cultural area to be protected from settlements, agriculture and town development and so on. As a next step, it is essential to develop the Master Plan on the bases of NRICP’s input and in incorporating it into national legislation. The German University of Aachen cooperates in this field under funding provided by the Government of Germany through ICOMOS.
Preservation of Mural Paintings:
Professors Akira Miayaji and Kosaku Maeda, who made the full inventory of these important Buddhist paintings in the 1970s, participated in the preparation mission in October 2002. Their analysis was that 80 to 85 of the paintings have disappeared during the war, through neglect, theft, and voluntary destruction. NRICP has documented and recorded the remaining mural paintings in the Buddhist caves. All fragments of paintings scattered on the floors have been collected, inventoried, and conserved. The access to 25 selected important caves has been banned and the caves closed with walls and locked doors. Armed guards have been hired to protect the site. It is important to note that since these measures were taken no further thefts took place. Further analyses of the fragments are required to develop a plan for their long-term conservation.
Consolidation of Cliffs and Niches:
Due to the imminent risk of collapse of the upper Eastern part of the small Buddha niche and the overall instability of both niches, the consolidation of the cliffs and niches was a priority task, as they shape the general appearance of the site and contain the original staircases and several caves. The backs of the two niches still include remains of the Buddha such as arms and shoulders. No scaffolding could be placed in front of the small Buddha niche, due to the slope and the loose ground. It was therefore decided to work with mountain climbers. In autumn 2003 and spring 2004, the Italian firm RODIO successfully implemented the first phase of emergency consolidation. The emergency stabilization of the remaining areas at both niches now has to be ensured.
Conservation of Fragments:
One particular difficulty in conserving the fragments of the Buddha is the large size of some of the fragments and the steep slope in front of the small Buddha. Two ICOMOS expert missions organized by Aachen University of a total of four months were dispatched to Bamiyan in June and October 2004. A protective shelter for the conservation of the fragments of the large Buddha statue was constructed. The experts started to clear the niches of the fragments and to store them in the shelters. Bearing in mind that the stone material, which holds important information on the history of the Buddha statues, is decaying rapidly it is essential to continue the conservation of fragments during the coming years.
Topographical Map and 3-Dimensional Model of Bamiyan:
The Japanese company PASCO has successfully produced a map and a 3 dimensional relief model of the site. All experts involved in the Bamiyan project appreciated its high quality.
What's the world heritage? World heritage sites are places of outstanding universal value to humanity and are part of the heritage of all humankind. Responsibility for future generations.
As of April 2005, 788 sites have been identified and inscribed on the World Heritage List. They are protected by the cooperative efforts of the international community in the framework provided by an international treaty, the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage , which was adopted by UNESCO in 1972.
The Cultural Landscape of the Bamyan Valley
A cultural landscape is links nature and culture. Cultural landscapes can be included in the World Heritage List when interactions between people and natural environment are evaluated as being of outstanding universal value.
"The cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamyan Valley" represent the artistic and religious developments which from the 1st to the 13th centuries characterized ancient Bactria . Integrating various cultural influences into the Gandhara school of Buddhist art .The area contains numerous Buddhist monastic ensembles and sanctuaries, as well as fortified edifices from the Islamic period.
Protecting of the Bamyan Valley
Undue haste in the pursuit of the development of the valley will result in the irreparable loss of its natural and cultural value. Current efforts to protect the cultural heritage of the valley are of utmost importance for future generations. The valley's protection can be achieved only by the cooperative efforts of all partners concerned , including people living iv Bamyan , with support from the international community.
Justification for Inscription on the World Heritage List
Criterion (i)
The Buddha statues and the cave art in Bamyan Valley are an outstanding representation of the Ganharan school in Buddhist art in the central Asian region.
Criterion (ii)
The artistic and architectural remains of Bamyan Valley , and important Buddhist centre on the Silk Road , are an exceptional testimony to the interchange of Indian , Hellenistic ,Roman, Sasanian influences as the basis for the development of a particular artist expression in the Gandharan school. To this can be added the Islamic influence in a later period.
Criterion (iii)
The Bamyan Valley bears an exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition in the Central Asian region , which has disappeared .
Criterion (iv)
The Bamyan Valley is an outstanding example of a cultural landscape which illustrates a significant period in Buddhism.
Criterion (vi)
The Bamyan Valley is the most monumental expression of the western Buddhism . It was an important centre of pilgrimage over many centuries . Due to their symbolic values , the monuments have suffered at different times of their existence , including the deliberate destruction in 2001 , which shook the whole world. Read the full story
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