Buddhas of Bamiyan (ruins)

The Buddhas of Bamyan were once two large standing Buddhas carved into the side of a Bamyan Valley cliff in central Afghanistan.  The statues were 55 metres and 37 metres in height, and were constructed in the years 554 AD and 507AD respectively.  They were believed to have been built by the Kushans and the Indo-Hephthalites.  The statues were likely built in Bamyan due to the town's location along the historical Silk Road caravan route.  The statues were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.  Though destroyed, the outlines and some features are still recognizable.  Nearby, the monks' caves and connecting passageways are still accessible.