KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- Not far from where Taliban extremists destroyed two Buddha statues four years ago, an Afghan archaeologist says an even larger, concealed one exists.
Zemaryalai Tarzi says a 1,000-foot long reclining Buddha is within view of the scene where Muslim extremists used artillery in 2001 to destroy the statues.
Inspired by the writings of a Chinese pilgrim nearly 1,400 years ago, Tarzi is leading a dig overlooking the Bamian valley. His initial goal is to find the ancient monastery the Chinese traveler Xuanzang described around A.D. 630, and then the gigantic reclining Buddha he said was inside its walls.
His critics ask how such a monumental structure could disappear underground, and doubt it could be salvageable if it still exists, the Washington Post said.
Last summer, the dig uncovered a wall that Tarzi is convinced is part of the ancient monastery that housed the huge statue. Excavators have also discovered several dozen sculptures of Buddha heads and other statue fragments.
The government of France and the National Geographic Society have funded Tarzi's efforts, and the dig will be featured on a National Geographic television special later this year.
