| Popis: |
The paper describes the joint missions of UNESCO and ICOMOS in Bamiyan, starting with the first investigations and initial safeguarding works at the particularly endangered Eastern Buddha niche in 2003. The problems of salvaging fragments of giant sculptures within a dangerous mix of conglomerate rock pieces, debris, and unexploded devices and the challenges of conservation works in a war-torn country are delineated. The making of the Buddhas is explained on the basis of the latest research on stone materials and loam components. Based on that, the conservation methods for sculpted conglomerate rock and the remaining parts of the loam rendering are described. Furthermore, the complex challenges of assembling a special scaffold structure within the tall niches are explicated. A variety of discussions on the reconstruction or restoration methods by international experts were slowing down the conservation process after 2013. The current state as of 2019 is a stabilized niche with the in situ remains of the Eastern Buddha statue and an installed scaffold structure at the Western Buddha, waiting for the upcoming task to stabilize the instable rock surface of the niche. The paper concludes with the importance of building up local conservation capabilities and finding a consensus on future conservation missions. |
