Exploring Bamiyan, Afghanistan 🇦🇫: Ancient Buddhas+Gholghola

Intro

Finishing up with the permit gathering at the Ministry of Tourism and Affairs, it was time to explore the ancient town of Gholghola and the famous Buddhas of Bamian. 

When the country was more stable years ago, more and more tourists (obviously not too many), would flock to Bamian to visit the historical sites which date back thousands of years. Well, with the Taliban now in power, few tourists seem to be visiting Afghanistan, leaving these beautiful places untouched.

The Ancient City Of Gholghola

The town of Bamian, Afghanistan, is a small one that is very much walkable from East to West. Situated about 90 clicks West of Kabul lies one of the most beautiful places in the continent of Asia. A cool breeze across the snow-capped mountains filled the air during the mid-days in March, but the sun was beaming down counteracting that cold air, proving my local Afghan wear was no match for the heat. 

Dropping our bags off at the local homestay, we embarked on the long trek (about 20 minutes ha) up to the ancient city of Gholghola. The same rules which apply in most of the world, don’t quite apply to Afghanistan. Clearing the Taliban checkpoint, the ancient city was free to climb all the way up to the top where once again, The Taliban flag blew freely through the wind. 

The Taliban flag flying high on top of Ghorghola

However, once at the top, the views were some of the best you will ever witness in life. Lying in front of me was the beautiful city, featuring old houses, ancient baths, and everything a village would need back in that time. 

The ancient city of Ghorghola

The ancient city of Ghorghola

The ancient city of Ghorghola

The ancient city of Ghorghola

The striking aspect was the backdrop behind the ancient city. It was everything you could imagine, untouched snow filled the mountains and in the faint background, you could see the beautiful Buddhas. 

Beautiful views over the beautiful mountains of Bamian

Beautiful views over the beautiful mountains of Bamian

But soon enough, it was to climb down as I was getting tired and wanted to visit the Buddhas… 

The Ancient Buddhas

Calling the driver to come to pick us up (yes, I was that tired), we headed off on the 10-minute drive to the ancient Buddhas. While Tuktuks were readily available in Bamian, the driver was already paid so why not? 

Arriving at the entrance to the Bhudda, we were once again greeted by two members of the Taliban with their striking AK-47s. But it wasn’t quite what we expected: The main Buddha had been closed! 

The beautiful ancient Buddhas

But it's been closed...

There are two main Buddhas that tourists can visit, but the main one has been closed for the past few years due to renovations. However, the larger one (which isn’t the main one) ended up being open so we headed over there to check out this monstrosity. 

At least we found one still intact, how beautiful is this?

The local Afghan wear is so comfortable!

I’ve seen Leptis Magna, all seven World Wonders, and quite a few UNESCO sites, but this was special. Being up and close with such history, and what this Buddha had probably indirectly observed in the past 30 years was striking. 

More information of the Great Buddhas

But that was it for me, I was so tired from that friggin redeye on Kam Air that it was time for bed. I was cranky, to say the least 😅, but grateful to have experienced what I had. 

Final Thoughts

If you are thinking about heading to Afghanistan for tourism purposes, I would highly recommend visiting Bamian. Visiting the ancient city of Ghorghola and the ancient Buddhas is an experience like no other. The landscapes are quite frankly surreal, and the place is raw, untouched beauty. 

Just remember to get your permits in Kabul, and check in with the Ministry of Tourism in Bamian.