World

Archeologists find giant Buddha statue, survivor of 2001 Taliban destruction

by Tina Kells | September 8, 2008 at 09:54 am

399 views | 2 Recommendations | 1 comment

Months before the September 11 terror attacks, the Taliban in Afghanistan made headlines with the mass destruction of a pair of 1500 year-old giant Buddha statues that lay along the ancient "Silk Road" in the country's Bamiyan cliffs. This week, archeologists announced that they had found a survivor.

A local official in Bamiyan said the newly found statue had been badly damaged, but some parts of it, such as the neck and right hand, were in a good condition.

He said measures were being taken to protect it, and it was hoped the statue would go on public display next year.

The latest find gives hope to archaeologists searching for a 300m long statue recorded by a Chinese pilgrim centuries ago.

Iconic Buddhist art works, now thought to be the oldest oil paintings in the world, have also been found in the caves at Bamiyan.

The third Buddha statue in the Bamiyan region was uncovered as part of an on-going archeological expedition. It has been damaged but archeologists are confident that it can be restored. Measuring 19m (62 feet), the newly discovered statue represents the Buddha in the sleeping position, and is believed to date back to the 3rd centurty B.C.

The Taliban reached its greatest level of power in Afghanistan in 2001, and the destruction of the giant Buddha statues was paraded around the world after September 11 as proof of the regime's militant intolerance. Since 2002, the Afghan government has undertaken efforts to restore the ancient statues. This latest discovery came about as part of those efforts.

2 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon