German scientists eye Afghan Buddha construction
Baku, February 26 (AZERTAC). Scientists from the University of Munich, in southern Germany, have examined fragments of the statues -- the world`s largest Buddhas - and concluded that the smaller one could be pieced together.
The two sculptures, 53 meters (173 feet) and 35 meters tall, had stood sentinel for 1,500 years in Bamiyan province before they were blown up by Islamists who believed them to be idolatrous.
Erwin Emmerling, the leader of the team sifting through hundreds of fragments, "considers a reconstruction of the smaller Buddha to be fundamentally possible," the university said in a statement.
"As far as the larger Buddha is concerned, in view of its depth (thickness) of around 12 meters, Professor Emmerling is more skeptical," it said.
Nevertheless, the university cited "political and practical" obstacles to rebuilding the precious statues.
Restorers from the Technische Universitaet Muenchen have analyzed hundreds of fragments of the Bamiyan Buddhas.
Either a small factory would have to be built in the Bamiyan valley or some 1,400 rocks weighing up to two tons each would have to be transported to Germany. Japanese funding could reportedly be used to rebuild the sculptures.
They were once painted a variety of colors, the scientists said, including dark blue, pink, orange, red and white.
"The Buddhas once had an intensely colorful appearance," Emmerling said.
Based on their investigation, the scientists also dated the smaller Buddha to between 544 and 595 AD. The bigger Buddha was built between 591 and 644, they said.
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