The ancient Nine Domes Mosque in Afghanistan in Balkh, Afghanistan is a fascinating enigma that has intrigued archaeologists for centuries. Built in the 8th century, it stands as one of the oldest...
Mes Aynak , located about 40 kilometers southeast of Kabul, Afghanistan, is an extraordinary archaeological site with a history dating back over 2,000 years. This ancient Buddhist city, nestled...
The caves of Bamiyan, originally carved by Buddhist monks nearly 2,000 years ago, now offer refuge to a significant number of homeless Afghans. These historic caves , nestled within the cliffs of...
The Taliban are not known as being guardians of history, and for the last 20 years they have embarked on a quest to “honor” the artifacts of antiquity with sledge hammers and bombs. After turning...
In the recent past, a gem that is thought to be more precious than even gold, the elusive lapis lazuli , has received a bad reputation for being a source of illegal mining by the Taliban in...
Alexander the Great was one of the finest and most successful military leaders the world has ever seen. In the 4th century BC he carved out one of the largest empires in history, stretching from...
Bactria was one of the more important historic regions of the ancient and classical world. A central point of more than one defining political event, Bactria experienced thousands of years of...
Experts are concerned for the future of Afghanistan’s archaeological sites and treasures following the Taliban takeover. Even if the ancient sites are not looted and destroyed, there is still the...
Gandhara was an ancient kingdom located in what is the region that is today northwestern Pakistan and northeastern Afghanistan. The history Gandhara can be traced all the way back to the Vedic period...
Buddhism, in the first few centuries following the death of the Buddha, spread from India mainly to China, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia. One place where its presence is less studied, in some ways...
Time travel is one of the most intriguing scenarios humans have ever fantasized about, but unfortunately for those curious minds and wild dreamers out there, many modern physicists claim that outside...
Ancient sites may come into in the line of fire when war breaks or a building project begins. Destruction and looting could be prevalent at such times, but archaeologists often believe there is...
God be merciful to both father and son! Mahmud utterly ruined the prosperity of the country [India], and performed wonderful exploits, by which the Hindus became like atoms of dust scattered in all...
A society still silent and secreted beneath the earth of the Himalayas, the earliest civilization associated with Hindu/Indian art history is the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC). This society is...
A mysterious collection of nearly 100 manuscripts have been discovered in an Afghan Cave. An analysis of the texts revealed that they were owned by a Jewish family that lived along the ancient Silk...
One of the most tragic examples of religious iconoclasm in recent history is the destruction of the two giant standing statues of Buddha by the Taliban in March 2001. These were the famed Buddhas of...
Mes Aynak, a 2,000-year-old Buddhist city atop a 5,000-year-old Bronze Age settlement in Afghanistan, is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. Only ten percent of...
The Minaret of Jam is a 12 th century tower located where the Hari River meets the River Jam in the Sharhrak district of Afghanistan. Standing 65 meters above the valley, it is the only surviving...
The World Heritage Committee (WHC) has halted the reconstruction of the magnificent Bamiyan Buddhas , which were obliterated by the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001 despite wide-spread campaigns to...
In the rocky foothills of South East Kabul lies Mes Aynak, a site of immense historical importance which is now under threat after the sites massive copper reserves were solve off to the China...
