A report from the Salsal and Shahmama city; Bamyan is possibly going to be eliminated from the UNESCO inheritances' list

Jumhuri mudara: The Bamyan city has always been the focus as an interesting place for everyone around the world throughout history. From eastern tourists to western tourists of ancient to the present. The Bamyan city, after the destruction of Salsal and Shahmama(in 2001), has been the focus of tourists and Institutions more than before, which caused some outdoor archaeological Institutions such as UNESCO, ICOMOS, and some indoor Institutions such as The Ministry of Information and Culture, and at the head of it the directorate of archaeology take serious and noticeable steps for protection of cultural inheritances and identifying ancient sites in the last two decades. But after falling the previous government and returning Taliban to the government, unfortunately, Bamyan has no longer its glory.

At least In the last decade, we were all the lookers on a lot of cultural greatest ceremonies in the ancient city of Bamyan. But what is going on nowadays in Bamyan? Why doesn't Bamyan have its glory as well as the previous two decades.

In 1402 AD, the ministry of Public Affairs of Taliban visited Bamyan, and since then, unfortunately, Bamyan has witnessed the harshness on indoor visitors from the ancient sites which is the world's cultural inheritance.

Before coming of the ministry of Public Affairs of Taliban, Khalid Hanafi, to Bamyan, everyone could visit the ancient sites of Bamyan, such as Band-e-Amir and buddhas, that each of them has its own world fame; but now, it is forbidden for women to see the buddhas of Bamyan to visit the beautiful and pleasant landscapes of Bamyan and Band Amir, and they can no longer visit the scenic areas and landscapes of Bamyan.

Extremism of Taliban has grown that much that they have prohibited the sale of buddhas' visiting ticket and say that it is against sharia. What is really going to happen on the Bamyan ancient and global cultural inheritance? Are we going to be the watchers of pollution of buddhas and glory of Bamyan?

According to reliable local sources, members of this group travel to Bamyan from far and near provinces every day, and visit Bamyan buddhas. Although, Salsal and Shahmama buddhas don't have its glory and greatness now to reflect the pride of Bamyan people; but still there are a number of visitors who are jealous-minded and far from culture, who have no mercy on the empty porticos, temples, and uninhabited caves of this city, and they attack with their knives and with the top of their weapons like barbarians and the doors and walls of Bamyan Buddhist temples are not safe from them.

Pictures sent by local sources from Bamyan.

The city of Bamyan is one the few cities in Afghanistan that has both a cultural master plan and an urban master plan due to its position as a UNESCO world heritage site. Bamyan cultural master plan is better known, for the people, with two colors of red and green. Despite this, we are witnessing arbitrary destructions and constructions by the Taliban within the framework of the cultural master plan of Bamyan city. Last year the governor of this group announced on the world tourism day in Girzandavi hotel in Bamyan that the ancient sites of Bamyan should be protected in order to expand the tourism industry in Bamyan; but two months after this speech, a government tank was built in UNESCO's red zone and closed to Shahmama buddha under the title of Afghanistan Government Oil and Gas State, and a mosque was also built next to it so that there would not be any excuse to destroy it.

If these kinds of unconsiderings, increasing arbitrary constructions in the red zones, illegal excavations in sites of cultural inheritances and historical remnants of Bamyan, continues, there is no doubt that this city will soon be eliminated from the menu of world heritage under risk.

The ancient city of Bamyan, the sister-in-law of Dung Huang in China whose income reaches about one million dollars per day which makes a great profit for its government. In Bamyan there is not only anyone who pays attention to attract the tourism industry; but also, its situation sends the people, who are tired of the ignorance, into poverty and unemployment day by day. And in every single moment it is possible that the buddhas collapse due to the embarrassed period.