The Buddha Statues of Bamiyan were two monumental statues carved into the cliffs of the Bamiyan Valley in central Afghanistan. Created in the 6th century, the larger statue stood about 55 meters tall, while the smaller one was approximately 38 meters high. These statues represented the Mahayana school of Buddhism and were significant cultural and religious symbols. In March 2001, the statues were destroyed by the Taliban, who deemed them idolatrous. The destruction sparked international outrage and highlighted the ongoing conflict between cultural heritage preservation and extremist ideologies. Today, efforts are underway to preserve the site and its history.