Starting in the week of 2nd March 2001, the Afghan Taliban destroyed two monumental statues of Gautama Buddha that had been hewn into the side of a mountain in the Bamyan valley west of Kabul in the 6th century AD. Taking pride in obliterating “idols” from a previous, infidel civilisation the Taliban leadership also claimed to have been incensed by offers of money to preserver the Buddhas from foreign governments who placed more value on stone statues than the lives of poor Afghans.

Firing anti-aircraft guns and artillery at the statues measuring 55 and 38 metres for several days, causing irreparable damage, the Buddhas were eventually dynamited and the caves cleared of any trace of the ancient works of art. Frescoes on the walls of the caves which housed the Buddhas had previously been destroyed by lighting tyres on the heads of the statues, causing severe smoke damage.

Panos photographer Pascal Maitre was one of the last people to photograph the statues in 1996 before their destruction.

An armed Hazara fighter from the Hesbe-Wahdat-e Islami political group near the site of the Bamiyan Buddha statues (6th-7th century CE) prior to their destruction by the Taliban in 2001. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures

Hazara fighters, from the Hesbe-Wahdat-e Islami political group, stand below the ‘Western’ Bamiyan Buddha (6th-7th century CE), one of two giant rock-carved Buddha statues , prior to their destruction by the Taliban in 2001. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures

Families ride donkeys past the ‘Eastern’ Bamiyan Buddha (6th century CE), one of two giant rock-carved Buddha statues, prior to their destruction by the Taliban in 2001. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures

A before and after of the cave that contained the ‘Western’ Bamiyan Buddha (6th-7th century CE), one of two giant rock-carved Buddha statues destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures

Buddhist frescoes on the walls that surrounded the giant Bamiyan Buddha statues (6th-7th century CE) prior to their destruction by the Taliban in 2001. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures

Arabic script graffiti scrawled on Buddhist frescoes on the walls that surrounded the giant Bamiyan Buddha statues (6th-7th century CE) prior to their destruction by the Taliban in 2001. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures