Bamian

Bamian, a town, valley, and pass in Afghanistan, between the Hindu Kush and Koh Sia mountains, on the way from Kabul to Balkh. The pass, also known as the Kalu Pass, has an elevation of 12,000 feet. In the valley lies the city, scattered over a considerable area, and remarkable for the caves and colossal statues hewn out of the surrounding rocks. These remains are most abundant on the site of the city or Buddhist shrine of Ghulgulah, which was destroyed by Zenghiz Khan about 1222 A.D.