10. Buddhas of Bamiyan

Until the Taliban destroyed them in 2001, there were two giant Buddha statues (55m and 38m tall) in niches in the Bamiyan Cliffs. The statues were sculpted from rock but finished with plaster and paint during the 4th and 5th century. Some rulers even decorated them with jewels. The area contains various Buddhist sanctuaries and art that date back anywhere between the 1st and 13th century C.E.

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