I visited the monuments of Bamyan during one day in September 2024. For an appetizer, there was Shahr-i Ghulghulah, which can be translated as the City of Screams. This rather terrifying name comes from the destruction of the city by Genghis Khan's troops, which left no one alive. Apparently this was because Genghis Khan's beloved grandson had been killed earlier during the siege of Bamyan, but the Mongols did not need too many excuses to destroy everything living among their defeated opponents. The City of Screams never recovered from this massacre and today it is a complex of charming ruins on the mountainside.

The main course was something that doesn't exist. The world's largest standing Buddha statues, carved into rocks in the 6th century AD. and barbarously destroyed by the Taliban during their first rule in 2001. Despite several attempts and the scaffolding existing for unknown reasons, these statues have not been recreated, only niches remain. They can be viewed from below and above, because a system of corridors led to the head of each statue. Currently, the corridors located next to the smaller, 37-meter statue are open. Visiting the niches is more of an exercise in the imagination, because without the statues they are much less interesting. As a side note - it seems that the current Taliban are more liberal for now, but in my opinion this is just an illusion. After consolidating their power, they may return to the barbaric practices known from 1996-2001.

Probably the most interesting monument of Bamyan was Shahr-i-Zuhak, located several kilometers away. Zuhak was built in the 6th century, fortified several hundred years later, and destroyed during the same Mongol invasion that destroyed the City of Screams. The city was divided into two parts - residential and defensive. There are steep stairs leading to the living area - the climb takes about 20 minutes and is very tiring. It takes at least another 20 minutes to get to the defensive part. Some of our group gave up on the second part, which is a pity - there are fantastic views from the top. At the top there is a Soviet cannon, probably transported there by helicopter. Zuhak is ruined, but some of the richly decorated walls have survived to this day and are extremely spectacular.