Bamyan

Bamyan is the capital of Bamyan province and the main town of Afghanistan's central highlands. It lies at about 2,500 metres on the floor of the Bamyan valley, beneath a long cliff of soft rock honeycombed with caves. The two great niches where the Buddha statues once stood dominate the view from almost everywhere in town. The town itself is modest and spread out. A main bazaar of shops, tea houses and workshops runs along the valley floor, with government offices, schools, the provincial university and newer residential areas on the rising ground around it. Fields, poplar groves and irrigation channels reach right into the centre, and on clear days the snowy peaks of the Koh-e Baba stand to the south. Most visitors come for the archaeology. Within walking distance or a short drive are the cliff caves, the ruined citadel of Shahr-e Gholghola on its hill and the side valley of Kakrak, while Shahr-e Zuhak and Dragon Valley lie a little further out. The town is also the usual base for day trips to Band-e Amir, about 75 km to the west.

The town grew up around the Buddhist monasteries of the valley. When the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang visited in the 7th century, he described a flourishing kingdom with many monasteries and monks, and two colossal standing Buddhas carved into the cliff. The larger, in the western niche, stood about 55 metres high; the smaller, to the east, about 38 metres. Both were cut directly from the rock and finished with mud plaster and paint. In the Islamic period the town's citadel stood on the hill now called Shahr-e Gholghola, the 'city of screams', until the Mongol siege of 1221. Its mud-brick ruins still crown the hill in the middle of the valley. The Buddha statues were destroyed in 2001, and conservation work has since stabilised the niches and protected surviving cave paintings. Much of the modern town has been built or rebuilt since the early 2000s.

Bamyan town is a meeting place for people from across the province. Dari in its Hazaragi form is the language of the bazaar, and most residents are Hazaras, with smaller numbers from other communities. Mosques and the Shia religious centres known as takia khana are important in daily life, especially during the month of Muharram. The town's university and schools give it a sizeable student population, and young people play football, volleyball and cricket on open ground around the valley. Dambura music is heard at weddings and gatherings, and Nowruz is celebrated with family outings once the weather allows. The cliff, the citadel hill and the bazaar are part of everyday life rather than set apart as monuments: children walk to school past the caves, and farmers work fields directly below the Buddha niches.

The town sits on a broad, flat valley floor watered by the Bamyan River and a network of irrigation channels. The main cliff runs along the north side of the valley, its pale face cut with caves and niches, while low hills and terraces rise to the south towards the Koh-e Baba. Around the town, fields of potatoes, wheat and clover alternate with stands of poplar and willow, which turn gold in October. The air is thin and dry, the sunlight is strong, and nights are cold for most of the year. Short walks lead up onto the plateau above the cliff or onto the hill of Shahr-e Gholghola, both with wide views over the valley and the mountains beyond. The river banks and fields attract birds, and in winter the whole valley lies under snow.

The bazaar's eating houses serve the staples of the region: qabuli palaw, kebabs grilled over charcoal, shorwa with fresh bread, and potatoes in many forms. Fried potato chips, often sold from small stalls and carts, are a local favourite. Bakers turn out flat naan from tandoor ovens through the day, and shops sell dried fruit, nuts and sweets brought up from lower provinces. Local dairy, including yoghurt and qurut, is sold in season, and tea houses serve green and black tea with sugar or sugared almonds. Many dishes suit the cold climate: hearty stews, mantu dumplings and plates of rice and meat that keep people warm on winter evenings.

The Bamyan bazaar is the best place in the province to find local handwork. Shops sell barak cloth, knitted socks, gloves and hats, felt mats, embroidered bags and cushion covers, and small kilims woven in nearby villages. Tailors in the bazaar make warm coats and waistcoats from barak and other woollen cloth, and some will make one to measure. Alongside the handwork, shops sell the everyday goods of a highland town: woollen shawls, blankets, stoves, cooking pots and imported clothing. Quality varies from shop to shop, so it is worth looking around before buying. Buying directly from the people who make these goods supports households in the surrounding villages.

The town is busiest from May to October, when the roads are most reliable and days are warm enough for exploring the caves and hills on foot. Even in July and August, mornings and evenings are cool, so a warm layer is useful. Spring comes late: the fields turn green and the trees come into leaf in April and May. October, when the poplars turn gold and the harvest is in, is a fine time for photographs and walking. From December to March the town is cold and often snowbound, with temperatures well below freezing at night. Winter visitors come mainly for skiing in the nearby mountains or for the quiet of the snow-covered valley, and should expect short days and simple heating.

By road, Bamyan town is reached from Kabul either by the southern route through Maidan Shahr and the Hajigak Pass or by the northern route through the Ghorband valley and the Shibar Pass, which enters the valley from the east past Shahr-e Zuhak. Shared taxis and minibuses run on both roads from Kabul, usually leaving early in the morning. From Band-e Amir and Yakawlang, a road of about 75 km leads east into town. Bamyan airport lies a short distance from the town centre, and domestic flights from Kabul have served it, taking well under an hour. Road conditions and local circumstances change, so travellers should check current conditions before setting out.

Bamyan has the widest choice of accommodation in the central highlands. Hotels and guesthouses range from simple rooms with shared bathrooms to more comfortable places with gardens. Some stand on the higher ground looking across the valley to the Buddha cliff, and others are close to the main road and the bazaar. Most places can arrange meals, and many can help find drivers and guides for trips around the valley and to Band-e Amir. Heating and hot water vary, so it is worth asking about them in the colder months. In summer and during national holidays the better rooms can fill up, particularly when groups visit from Kabul.

The centre of Bamyan is compact enough to explore on foot, and walking is the easiest way to see the cliff caves, the bazaar and Shahr-e Gholghola. Distances grow towards the outer parts of the valley, and the altitude makes uphill walks tiring at first. Taxis and a few rickshaws work around the bazaar for short trips. For Shahr-e Zuhak, Dragon Valley, Kakrak and Band-e Amir, most visitors hire a car with a driver for the day or half a day, arranged through their accommodation or at the taxi stands. Shared taxis and minibuses for Yakawlang, Kabul and the districts leave from stands around the bazaar when full. In winter, four-wheel-drive vehicles are more reliable on snowy roads.