Reflections on the Case of Bamiyan

Abstract

Inscribed in the World Heritage List in 2003, the Bamiyan cultural landscape has been subject to conservation management efforts, including the proposal to reconstruct at least one of the Buddha figures after the 2001 destruction. This paper examines some of the fundamental concepts of conservation and restoration of cultural heritage referred to in international recommendations. These include the question of reconstruction in reference to the notions of integrity and authenticity as they would apply in the case of Bamiyan cultural landscape and its archaeological remains. In fact, the conservation of cultural heritage is fundamentally a cultural problem. In the case of Bamiyan, the present-day culture has changed from the historical Buddhist era, when the Buddha figures had a distinct role in society. Any reconstruction of the figures originally carved from the rock would thus be ‘inauthentic’. Instead, it is necessary to focus on the presentation and interpretation of the splendid historical features, recognised for their outstanding universal value within the wider cultural and natural landscape, also considering the needs and requirements of the present-day society.