Bamyan Province

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Bamyan بامیان

Capital • Coordinates	Bamyan • ~° N ~° E
Population (2002) • Density	356,000 • /km²
Area	14,175 km²
Time zone	UTC+4:30
Main language(s)	Dari Hazaragi

Bamyan Province (Persian: بامیان) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the centre of the country. Its capital city is also called Bamyan. Bamyan city is the largest city in the Hazarajat region of Afghanistan, and is the cultural capital of the Hazara ethnic group that predominates in the area.

In antiquity, central Afghanistan was strategically placed to thrive from the Silk Road caravans which criss-crossed the region trading between the Roman Empire, China, Central and South Asia. Bamyan was a stopping off point for many travellers. It was here where elements of Greek, Persian and Buddhist art were combined into a unique classical style, known as Greco-Buddhist art.

Bamyan was the site of an early Buddhist monastery. Many statues of Buddha are carved into the sides of cliffs facing Bamyan city. The two most prominent of these statues were standing Buddhas, now known as the Buddhas of Bamyan, measuring 55 and 37 meters high respectively, that were the largest examples of standing Buddha carvings in the world (see also:[1]). They were probably erected in the 4th or 5th century C.E. They were cultural landmarks for many years and are listed among UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. In March 2001 the Taliban government decreed that the statues were idolatrous and ordered them to be demolished with anti-aircraft artillery and explosives.

View of Bamyan

Bamyan is also known for its natural beauty. The Band-e Amir lakes in western Bamyan province continue to be a tourist destination for Afghans.

Bamyan is currently the base of operations for the New Zealand peace keeping force, a Provincial Reconstruction Team codenamed Task Group Crib, which is part of the network of Provincial Reconstruction Teams throughout Afghanistan. It is recognised as one of the safest provinces in the country which has allowed for much concerntration on civil rebuilding[2].

There are currently 122 New Zealand Defence Force personnel in Bamyan. To date they have helped with reconstruction work including building bridges and schools as well as maintaining security in the region.

Buddhas of Bamyan, which dated back to Pre-Islamic Afghanistan, were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001 calling them "Un-Islamic". Photo by Hadi Zaheer

The New Zealand Police are also working in the region to help train the Afghan National Police (ANP). In July 2006 three Afghan women signed to join the ANP in Bamyan the first time women have joined a police force in Afghanistan.