Bamiyan is known for its illustrious hallmarks of the Buddhist era, long gone from its sandstones, moraines, and travertines composite valleys. However, this is a place where Buddhist spirits lives in eternity immersed in the aura of natural peace and beauty.

The valley of Bamiyan runs along the Herat fault that brings together parts of the Eurasian plate and many fragments of Gondwanan origin, building the whole geological structure of Afghanistan dominated by the majestic Hindu Kush mountain ranges.

In the context of the modern history of Afghanistan, Bamiyan is the place where broken piles of stones at the foot of the once mighty collection of art witnessed the dark side of humanity's ephemeral melancholy that occasionally punctuate the tranquility of history and disturb the eternal Buddha's peace.

Bamiyan is a place where travelers who dared to adventure to Afghanistan's outback have always found themselves embraced by the beauty of an awesome historical and folklore richness unparalleled in the region. This was a euphoric high that still holds true although perilously shaken by violence and cultural zeal.

In this valley of many natural monuments and beauty, the human inhabitants always looked upon their environment with awe and produced the most beautiful folklore and art a nation can create in order to provide answers to their observations of the many natural phenomenons.

I traveled to Bamiyan in the autumn of 2003 and looked upon the place with the same sense of wonder, which I share with you in this photo essay. Enjoy.