Destroyed Buddha Statue

Amu: On this day 24 years ago, the Taliban carried out one of the most infamous acts of cultural destruction in modern history, demolishing the ancient Buddhas of Bamiyan, two towering statues that had stood for centuries as symbols of Afghanistan’s rich Buddhist heritage. On March 11, 2001, Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar ordered the destruction of the statues, known as Salsal and Shahmama, which had been carved into the cliffs of central Afghanistan in the 6th century. Taliban fighters spent two days relentlessly shelling the monuments before finally reducing them to rubble with explosives. Click here to read more (external link).