Afghanistan’s Bamiyan site threatened again, this time by unchecked development

- Jul 24, 2012 11:18 am

Skift Take

Bamiyan has gone through enough destruction, can the govt. step in to check the overenthusiastic development in the name of attracting tourists?

— Rafat Ali

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.