Afghanistan's Bamiyan on frontline of warzone tourism Famous for its empty hillside niches that once sheltered the giant Buddha statues blown up by the Taliban, Bamiyan is a rare oasis of tranquillity in Afghanistan. The city was named this year's cultural capital of South Asia, in an effort to boost tourism there. But one obstacle remains: Bamiyan is surrounded by war. A natural sound version of an AFPTV report.