The Japanese ambassador to Afghanistan, Takashi Okada, visited the ruins of the Buddhas of Bamiyan during his recent trip to the province, emphasising their value as a cultural asset to the people of the province.
The Japanese embassy in Kabul said in tweet on Saturday: “This rich cultural heritage is an asset to the people of Bamyan. Ambassador Okada thanked all the experts for their excellent work and the archaeologists for preserving this historical site.”
In March 2001, during their previous rule, the Taliban detonated explosives to destroy the Buddha statues, despite widespread international condemnation and appeals. The decision was based on a fatwa issued by Mullah Omar, the leader and founder of the Taliban.
Last month, the Taliban’s governor of Bamiyan province, Abdullah Sarhadi, in an interview with the Washington Post, defended the group’s destruction of the ancient Buddhas of Bamiyan.
Sarhadi said that “We should follow the demands of God.” And that the destruction in 2001 of the ancient monuments, had been a “good decision”. He added that tourists should not visit the sites of the Buddhas and “be steered toward other sites.”
The Buddhas statues of Salsal and Shahmama, carved into the mountains between 300 and 700 AD, stood at 53 and 35 meters tall, respectively. These ancient statues were significant cultural and historical artifacts.
