DID YOU KNOW? 💡 Bamiyan province in Afghanistan is known as the “Shining Light,” or “Valley of Gods” and is one of the oldest cities in Central and South Asia, with a history that stretches back over 2,500 years. The name “Bamiyan” derives from the Middle Persian word Bamikan (Bām (بام), meaning “roof” or “high place,” and “kan”, which means “place”). Bamiyan was established as a settlement around the 6th century BCE, during the time of the Achaemenid Empire. Buddhism arrived in Bamiyan in the 3rd century BCE, during the reign of Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire. By the 2nd century CE, under the Kushan Empire, Bamiyan flourished as a hub of Buddhist learning and art. Monasteries, stupas, and the two iconic Buddha statues were constructed during this period which were the tallest standing Buddha statues in the world, measuring 55 metres and 38 metres. Bamiyan is also home to the world’s FIRST known oil paintings, created by Buddhist monks in the 7th century CE. These intricate...