Throughout history, Afghanistan has been at the crossroads of civilizations.Located in the middle of Eurasia, Afghanistan connects to Europe to its west, China to its east, and India to its south and was a strategic point on the Silk Road where people from different cultures met.



But the return to power of the Taliban means the cultural assets that show Afghanistan’s rich history are at grave risk.



In 2001, as part of a campaign to rid Afghanistan from idolatry, the Taliban destroyed the Buddhas of Bamiyan, large statues that had been carved from stone around 1,500 years ago, and had been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.