There are loads of Things to do in Bamiyan. However, among the plethora of Things to do in Bamiyan, the favorite pastime of tourists remains to be sightseeing.
On the face of a mountain near the city, three colossal statues were carved 4,000 feet apart. One of them was 175 feet (53 m) high, the world's tallest standing statue of Buddha. The ancient statue was carved during the Kushan period in the fifth century. The statues were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001, on the basis that they were un-Islamic.
At one time, two thousand monks prayed in caves in the sandstone cliffs. The caves were also a big tourist attraction before the long series of wars in Afghanistan. Now the unheated, door less caves shelter dozens of refugees who have nowhere to go.
Bamiyan, with its archeological remains, is the most attractive tourist site of Afghanistan. The village lies about 2500 meters above sea level, 240 kilometers west of Kabul and attracts thousand of visitors annually.
The amazing beauty of this valley is further beautified by the snow capped range of the Kohe Baba Mountains in the south and by the steep cliffs in the north in which massive images of Buddha are carved.
Band-e-Amir Lake in Bamiyan district is the most beautiful lake in the country. The aquamarine water, though quite chilly, changes color as the sun moves. There are paddle boats to rent, restaurants and souvenir shops, as well. If you are lucky you might stumble in on one of the rave parties thrown by one of the international NGOs.
The area of Bamiyan developed under king Kanishka the Great. It became a major commercial and religious center and the smaller statue of Buddha (38 meters high) was built during his reign. Travelers coming here will be amazed at the skilled architecture of the monuments and statues.
A couple of centuries later the colossal Buddha statue (55 meters high) was carved. Thousands of ornamented caves, inhabited by yellow robed monks, extended into Folladi and Kakrak valleys where a smaller statue of Buddha (6.5 meters) stands.
Buddhist pilgrims from different nook and corners of the world come to Bamiyan to see its spectacular and sacred sites. Bamiyan fell to the Islamic conquerors at the dawn of the 9th century. Since then plenty of things have changed here. But still Sightseeing remains the major activity among the several Things to do in Bamiyan.
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