Bamyan
Afghanistan · 2550 m
Description
Bamyan is a wide valley in the Hazarajat at two and a half thousand metres where two colossal standing Buddhas were cut into the cliff in the sixth century, the taller of them fifty-five metres. The Taliban blew them up in 2001 and the empty niches are what visitors now come to stand in front of. UNESCO listed the valley in 2003 and put it straight on the danger list. Caves behind the niches keep fragments of painted ceiling. Shahr-e Zohak, the red city, guards the eastern approach on its cliff. A ski season on the slopes above the valley was started by a Swiss group and is still run.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 2 to 4 days (optimal 3 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: May – September
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Empty niches of the great Buddhas
- Painted caves in the cliff face
- Shahr-e Zohak, the red city
- Shahr-e Gholghola, the city of screams
- Bamyan bazaar and the Hazara town
- Cultural centre above the cliff
- Dragon valley of Darya-e Ajdahar
- Potato fields and poplar lines in the valley
- Buzkashi matches in the season (approx. October)
- Band-e Amir lakes to the west(Day trip)
Getting there
- Nearest airports:
- KBL