ナショナルジオグラフィックさんのインスタグラム写真 - (ナショナルジオグラフィックInstagram)「Photo by @simonnorfolkstudio / On this day … The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two giant, rock-hewn statues of Gautama Buddha, dating to the fourth and fifth centuries C.E., that were obliterated from future history by the Taliban. Their destruction was a devastating attack against the cultural and historical heritage of Afghanistan. Twenty years ago today (February 26, 2001), Mullah Omar issued a decree ordering the elimination of all non-Islamic sanctuaries and statues in the country. A kind of “holy war” was declared against the two Buddhas. “Our soldiers are working hard; they are using all available arms against them,” said a spokesman for the Taliban. Rockets, tank shells, and finally dynamite were brought in, and within days the imposing statues, once standing 125 feet (38 meters) and 180 feet (55 meters) tall, were reduced to rubble. Here photographed, a “victory arch” built by the Northern Alliance at the entrance to a local commander’s HQ in Bamiyan after the expulsion of the Taliban. In the center can be seen one of the niches that previously contained the smaller of the Buddhas. Follow @simonnorfolkstudio for updates, outtakes, and unpublished and archive material. #archaeology #afghanistan #taliban #buddhism #bamiyan」2月27日 10時32分