Cultural Master Plan Bamiyan (Afghanistan) – A Process Model for the Management of Cultural Landscapes Based on Remote-Sensing Data

The Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2003. An international safeguarding campaign is active for its preservation, including the remains of the Buddha figures destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. Efforts are underway to set up an effective management system for the historical areas within a wider landscape approach balancing conflicting uses and demands. Based on detailed high-resolution satellite imagery and accompanying ground surveys, a comprehensive inventory of vernacular settlements, traditional water systems, and historic cultural remains was compiled. The Bamiyan Cultural Masterplan has been elaborated as a zoning proposal to support future planning processes in Bamiyan. A GIS System has been set up to manage planning and monitoring activities in the future. The current condition of the archaeological remains of Bamiyan has been documented with different remote sensing and high precision 3D documentation methods. Within cultural heritage management, Virtual Reality technologies are an innovative approach for documentation and presentation of complex architectural objects, especially in landscape settings. The project includes a digital reconstruction of the destroyed Small Buddha (38 m) Figure of Bamiyan integrated into the high-resolution 3D model of the niche and the cliff. The composite model of previous and actual conditions serves as a communication and planning tool for future consolidation for experts and the interested public.