Afganistan, Bamiyan. The large Buddha, Bamiyan, central Afghanistan. Bamiyan flourished as a centre for trade and religious worship until 1221, when the area was attacked by the armies of Genghis Khan. Two immense figures of Buddhas, 55 and 38 metres in height, we hewn out of the rock at Bamiyan. The colossal Buddha images at Bamiyan followed closely the Gandhara ideal and were probably carved by pilgrims who travelled through the region and whose cave sanctuaries can still be seen cut into the cliffs. Photographed in August 2000, destroyed by the Taliban in March 2001.