Here they were carved from the cave ceiling to represent such a grand idea. It is not often thought in the west that Buddhism could in any way compete with the classical western traditions of art and architecture, and yet the existence of this valley with its rich Buddhist history is clearly contradictory of western xenophobia or ideal do superiority. It must also be said that the iconoclasm of Islamic raiders did a great deal of damage to eastern depictions of Buddhist and even Christian art (Rowland, 1953, p. 165) and though the Bamiyan Buddhas had been protected, even in a Islamic culture for centuries they have now belatedly been destroyed by a less ecumenical sect of the Islamic faith. (BBC News, March 11, 2001, NP) Conclusion

It is the great hope of many that the archeological skill of the afghans can save the valley but currently it stands as a symbol of the destruction associated with the Taliban to humanity and culture. (Kaufman, February 7, 2005, NP) The remembrance of these two Buddhas will hopefully feed a desire to rebuild and retain the imagery of ancient Buddhism in a rebirth of international ideology of strength and diversity. The reflection...

The structures are colossal and reflect similar shrines and structures associated with western religious and worship traditions. The centrality of the statues to the silk road is telling of life, art and ancient Buddhism as a pilgrim's faith.
References

BBC News (March 11, 2001) Giant Buddha statues 'blown up' Retrieved May 5, 2009 from Google Database

< http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1214384.stm>.

Kaufman, (February, 7 2005) Afghan Archaeologist Seeks Sleeping Buddha Retrieved May 5, 2009 from Google Database .

Rhie, M.M. (1999). Early Buddhist Art of China and Central Asia (Vol. 1). Boston: Brill.

Rowland, B. (1953). The Art and Architecture of India: Buddhist, Hindu, Jain. London: Penguin Books.

Wriggins, S.H. (1996). Xuanzang: A Buddhist Pilgrim on the Silk Road. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

"The statues had stood guard over the Bamiyan valley for centuries. The statues are among Asia's great archaeological treasures." (BBC News, March 11, 2001, NP)