The city of Bamiyan, some 200 kilometers northwest of Kabul, stands in a lush green valley stretching through central Afghanistan on the route of the former Silk Road. The cultural center of Afghanistan's Hazara minority, Bamiyan was also famously the home of two nearly 2,000-year-old Buddha statues before they were destroyed by the Taliban just months before the U.S.-led invasion in 2001. Bamiyan Province has been seen as one of Afghanistan's most peaceful regions in recent years, but the quiet was shattered by a string of insurgent attacks this summer.
Walking Through Bamiyan
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Hazara tribespeople walk with their animals in Bamiyan.
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A Hazara shepherd walks with his flock.
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A Hazara man talks on his phone during a meal at a restaurant.
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Women wash a carpet by one of the city's two rivers.
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Children walk in front of their school.
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Hazara children play football near the site of the ancient Buddha statues destroyed by the Taliban.
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A Hazara herder walks with his animals.