Bamiyan is the main town in the namesake Bamiyan province. Giant devastated
Budha's of Bamiyan are the main tourist attractions of the city. The Bamiyan
valley is the most picturesque area in the region. A quite isolated city, it
is located about 240 km west of Kabul. It is a calm and serene city of
Afghanistan lying in the lap of nature depicting the extraordinary cultural
diversity of Afghaniatn.
History
Bamiyan valleys offer the ancient caves of Kushan Dynasty. The city was
first mentioned in the 5th Century A.D. The ancient and internationaly
recognised Bamiyan Budha owes its origin to the visit of Chinese travelers
Fa-hien around 400 A.D. and Hsuan-tsang in 630 A.D. Islam came into
existence in the region in 7th century. The city bloomed in the reign of
Kanishka. Muslim conquerers captured Bamiyan in 871AD. Genghis Khan
devasated the city in 1221,. After that the civil war in Afghanistan between
the English and Afghans torn the city. Now a days the city is counted among
the poorest region of Afghanistan.
Travel Attractions 
Number of tourists has reduced since the Taliban came into existence in
Afghanistan. The travel sites in the city are as follows
Bamiyan Valley and Budha Bamiyan
Located in the heart of Hindu Kush region, Bamiyan Valley is one of the
most beautiful regions of Afghansitan. The valley was once considerd as the
most sacred region for the Buddhism followers in Afghanistan. A lot of
tourists visited the place for ritual puposes. The two Budha idols of
Bamiyan were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. Only the ruins of the
historical monuments are there now a days. The two giant Budhas were 38
meters and 53 meters in height. The surface of the statues were built with
mud and straw. The larger statue was painted in dark red and the smaller one
was painted with multiple colors. The statues were covered with plaster and
moulded to provide them various expressions.
UNESCO cosolidated the site by including it in the UNESCO world heritage
list. There are around 750 caves flourishing the valley. In the blooming
period of the valley the caves used to house monks in the area. Caves are
decorated with Budhist frescoes and enormous wall paintings. The monument
was one of the best from Western Asia before destruction.
Band- e Amir Lake
Known as the wonderful lake all over the world Band-e-Amir lake is located
in Yakawlang district. The turquoise -azur colored water is quite refreshing
to make you chill. The color of the water is pretty changeable as the sun
moves over the lake surface. Deep blue color of the water is exceptional
world wide for its color. You can also live in the camps at the lake area
which is thrilling in itself.
Shahr-e Golgola
It is the main fort located in Bamiyan Valley. It was once one of the most
prosperous cities og Afghansitan. The citadel was almost destroyed by
Gengjis Khan in 1221. Due to its gloomy history the name Shahr-e Golgola,
'City of Screams' was derived. The Mangols used to call it as Mao Balegh,
the cursed city.
Shahr-e-Zohak (Red Town)
Ruins of the red town lie below the Bamiyan Valley. The grandoiose fortress
was bulit completely of sun dried clay. It was a leading defense for the
Baiyan valley for centuries. It was home to 3000 people in its blooming
stage. Later on it was destroyed by the foreign marauders.
