Buddhas of Bamyan

The Buddhas of Bamyan were a set of giant stone carvings of a standing Buddha, in the area of Bamyan, Afghanistan. The two largest statues were nearly 180 and 120 feet tall, and carved out of alcoves in the cliff face.

In 1930, Indiana Jones had just lost Baldur's Ring to an archaeologist from the British Museum after discovering it in the Temple of Old Uppsala. Marcus Brody reminded Jones that because of the extent of the British Empire, Britain could rule the field of archaeology with access to sites in Egypt, India. Brody feared that even one day, the British would find a way to move the Buddhas of Bamyan to the British Museum.

Behind the Scenes
In March 2001, the Taliban, which ruled Afghanistan, ordered the destruction of the Buddhas as an affront to the rules of Islam which forbid graven images. Most of the world community condemned the destruction of the Buddhas for both their cultural value, and for the Taliban's religious intolerance. The current Afghan government has pledged to rebuild the statues.

Appearances

 * Indiana Jones Adventures: Volume 1