Buddha's face mutilated by Taliban

Published June 25, 2012
People sit near a sculpture of the Buddha whose face was destroyed by Taliban fighters at Jahanabad, Pakistan in the Swat valley.
People sit near a sculpture of the Buddha whose face was destroyed by Taliban fighters at Jahanabad, Pakistan in the Swat valley.
Italian archeologist Luca Olivieri, left, talks with colleagues in Saidu Sharif, Pakistan. Olivieri and his partners are working to restore a carving of the Buddha destroyed by Taliban fighters in Pakistan's Swat valley.
Italian archeologist Luca Olivieri, left, talks with colleagues in Saidu Sharif, Pakistan. Olivieri and his partners are working to restore a carving of the Buddha destroyed by Taliban fighters in Pakistan's Swat valley.
A team funded by the Italian government is working with Pakistan's archaeology department to restore and preserve centuries-old Buddhist sites in northwest Pakistan.
A team funded by the Italian government is working with Pakistan's archaeology department to restore and preserve centuries-old Buddhist sites in northwest Pakistan.
A villager walks to a Buddhist stupa called the ?Amlukdara,? which was damaged by thieves looking for statues in Pakistan's Swat Valley.
A villager walks to a Buddhist stupa called the ?Amlukdara,? which was damaged by thieves looking for statues in Pakistan's Swat Valley.
The face of a sculpture of the Buddha which was destroyed by Taliban fighters.
The face of a sculpture of the Buddha which was destroyed by Taliban fighters.

Swat was once an important center of Buddhist culture and trade. The monk credited with introducing Buddhism to Tibet, Padmasambhava, was born in Swat. A team funded by the Italian government is working with Pakistan's archaeology department to restore and preserve centuries-old Buddhist sites in northwest Pakistan. Militants detonated the face off the towering, 1,500-year-old rock carving in northwest Pakistan in fall 2007, it fell to an intrepid Italian archaeologist, Luca Olivieri, to come to the rescue. – Photos by AP

Opinion

Editorial

Weathering the storm
Updated 29 Apr, 2024

Weathering the storm

Let 2024 be the year when we all proactively ensure that our communities are safeguarded and that the future is secure against the inevitable next storm.
Afghan repatriation
29 Apr, 2024

Afghan repatriation

COMPARED to the roughshod manner in which the caretaker set-up dealt with the issue, the elected government seems a...
Trying harder
29 Apr, 2024

Trying harder

IT is a relief that Pakistan managed to salvage some pride. Pakistan had taken the lead, then fell behind before...
Return to the helm
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Return to the helm

With Nawaz Sharif as PML-N president, will we see more grievances being aired?
Unvaxxed & vulnerable
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Unvaxxed & vulnerable

Even deadly mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue and malaria have vaccines, but they are virtually unheard of in Pakistan.
Gaza’s hell
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Gaza’s hell

Perhaps Western ‘statesmen’ may moderate their policies if a significant percentage of voters punish them at the ballot box.