The space once occupied by the “Large Buddha,” one of two 6th century statues demolished in 2001 by the Taliban in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan.
Continuing viewing photos accompanying country pages in the CIA World Factbook, this post moves along to Afghanistan, Turkey.
I found one answer to my bafflement at why some countries have pictures and others don’t, which I mentioned last time. Reading the updates on the Factbook website home page, I learned that it only started providing photos in June, and the addition of pictures is continuing, albeit gradually. Something to bear in mind as you file away ideas on where to look for public domain images of places around the world.
All photos in this post courtesy of CIA World Factbook and taken from the country’s entry on the Factbook website.
View of surrounding farmlands from within the caves at the “Large Buddha” in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan.
Turquoise lake in Band-e-Amir, a national park in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan.
Bamyan lakes region, Bamyan Province, Afghanistan.
The “Red City,” Bamyan Province, Afghanistan, named for the red clay used to construct the buildings, preserved by the arid climate.
Reaching heights of 130 feet, these rock formations, nicknamed “fairy chimneys,” were formed by volcanic eruptions and sculpted by wind and rain erosion. Cappadocia region, Turkey.
Sultan Ahmed Mosque (the Blue Mosque), Istanbul, Turkey
The Roman Theater in Ephesus, Turkey.
The Hunza Valley, Pakistan
