Ruins of the ancient city of Bamiyan stand in the lush Bamiyan Valley within the Hindu Kush mountain range. The town was once a stop on the historic Silk Road trade route between China, Central Asia and beyond. Bamiyan was home to two nearly 2,000-year-old Buddha statues before they were destroyed by the Taliban, in 2001. Here, a woman walks past one of the Buddha outlines, which remains carved into the side of a cliff. The Bamiyan Valley and its archaeological remains is a UNESCO World Heritage site. (SHAH MARAI —AFP/GETTY IMAGES)