Afghanistan's Bamiyan site threatened again, this time by unchecked development
Skift Take
Bamiyan has gone through enough destruction, can the govt. step in to check the overenthusiastic development in the name of attracting tourists?
Bamiyan Valley in Afghanistan, a UNESCO world heritage site, once boasted two monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff, until they were destroyed by Taliban. Now as tourism/development returns, a renowned Afghan archaeologist has raised concern about unregulated development in the area, which he says threatens other ancient Buddhist structures and artefacts thought to be buried there.
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