One of the central provinces of Afghanistan, the secure province of Bamyan is located to the south of Hindu Kosh and north of Baba Mountains.
Bamyan is a historical province of Afghanistan. It is known by different names in different times. In the map of Buddhist, the province is named “Bamika” during 5th AD “Fan Yank”, according to famous Chinese tourist in 132 AD, Bamyan was named “Fan Yan Na”.
The ruins of Buddhist idols, Band-a-Ameer and the first National Park are the historical antiquities of the province.
The weather of Bamyan is warm during spring and summer while it is cold and snowy in winter. 
The province is located on 67 degrees, 29 minutes, 41seconds of eastern longitude and 34 degrees, 33 minutes, 22 second on northern latitudes while it is 2, 500 meters above the sea level with the total area of 18, 029 square kilometers. 
Districts:
Bamyan has seven administrative unites, the capital Bamyan city, the districts of Yakawlang, Waras, Shaibar, Sayghan, Kahmard and Panjab.
Authorities in Bamyan estimates, population of the province is reached up to 700,000. However, the strength is different as per UN estimates, which recorded at 586,000 populations. According to the fresh survey conducted in 2012 by the central statistics department, the number of people in the province reaches to 386,000.  
With a total area of 18,029 kilometers square, the main tribes are Hazara, Tajik, and Pashtun. In addition 90% inhabitants of Bamyan belong to the Shaiah sect. 
The province being the central and mountainous province connects the neighboring Maidan Wardak province through Haji Gak tunnel with Parwan and Kabul province through Shibar tunnel while northern provinces and then it connects with Bamyan through Qonak tunnel of Daykundi.  
The province occupies strategic location where the historical Silk Road passes through. The road connects the northern part of the country with the southern part.
Culture:
The people of Bamyan are the followers of Shia and Sunni sects who perform their rituals in more than 1900 mosques and shrines.
Traditional sports being played by women are famous in Bamyan province with each side has to make groups to play the traditional “Pisho” game.
The “Pisho” game is mainly played by groups of women at wedding ceremony and singing the poets and dancing is the main playing parts of the game.
Music is considered unlawful during the wedding celebrations while poetry and praising lyrics add more glamour to the wedding ceremony.
The people of Bamyan are conservative Islamist who value and celebrate their religious days in traditional way.
History:
The ruins of Buddhist idols, Band-a-Ameer, cities of Ghulgulah and Dahak, Chal Burjah, Azdar valley, Feroz Bahar area, Astoyah, Kilgan, Gohageen, Kafri, Chal Dukhtarn, Chal Ston and Shahri Shahi are among the historical sites of Bamyan. Through historical remnants, the government and people of Bamyan earn a lot when foreign and local tourist visits the province.
The Buddhist idols having antiquity of 1,600 years from the time when Buddhist reign were demolished in March 2001 by the Taliban. For the Taliban, the existence of idols meant polytheism that’s why after couple of days and nights of bombing the Taliban succeeded to dynamited them.
The two historical idols, “Salsal” 53 meters and “Shamamah” 35 meters high situated three kilometers to the south of Bamyan city in a mountain and the idols are registered with the UNESCO as world historical sit.
The Buddhist reign existed from the 2nd until 5th BC.
Other historical sites of Buddhist reign include Band-a-Ameer, Gulgula and Dahak city are in list with the UNESCO as world historical sites.
The German agrological group after the enthusiastic demands of people is spending 3$ million dollars for the reconstruction of Buddhist idols and they managed to recover more than thousands pieces of these idols having total weight of 90 to100 tones. 
After a joint meeting by Japan, UNESCO, France and Ministry of Information and Cultural in 2007 in Berlin, it was decided to fully rehabilitate the Buddhist idols. However, the ministry of information and cultural affairs is not happy with the decision, according to the ministry the idols can lost its historical appearance and culturally it is unacceptable though Japan has promised to provide 1$ million package for this project. 
The ministry of information and culture asked the contractors to present their proposals, however the participants of conference rejected the use of laser for the rehabilitation of Buddhists idols due to its natural and environmental side effects.
According to the book of a Chinese tourist, another 300 meters long laying idol exists somewhere around Buddha, the information is factual because the book didn’t make a wrong prediction until now.
Besides the two idols, three thousand shelter of Buddhist reign existed, which is currently used by the people of Bamyan.
Zmarili Tarzi, an Afghan historian said sear for another 300 meters long idol was underway.
Band-a- Ameer (Ameer Dam):
Band-a-Ameer is situated 72 kilometers to the south of Bamyan city at Yakawlang district.
The dam is a heart blowing sit for tourists, which spread into 40,000 hectares land and largely known as a national park in 2010.
Band-a-Ameer is the collection of six small dams known as Zulfiqar, Hibat, Podina, Qanbar, Ghulam, Barbar and the Panirak dams, which spread 0n 90 to 496 hectares land and deep up to 90 meters witnessed by the German swimmers.
The greenish colored sub dams surrounded by dry and Rocky Mountains and fishes moving inside water contributed to the beauty of the area. The ministry of agriculture started the construction of a complex center for the felicitation of tourists in terms of providing information, security and residence. In addition, the complex will monitor the affairs of park, store house, hardware security and rehabilitation of roads, bridges and other necessary infrastructure a long side the dam.
The ministry is spending amount of $700,000 on the project.    
Gulgulai City:
The Gulgulai city was constructed during the reign of Shansbaniah by Malak Fakhruddin as capital city. Several residencies were also constructed for the people of Bamyan in the city.
After the death of Kwarazam Shah in 1228-1232, the city become defense headquarters of Jalaluddin Kwarazm Shah but later in 1239, it was captured and destroyed by Changiz Khan.
Some remaining parts of the city were used by armed forces of former Afghan king Ameer Abdul Rhaman Khan.
The ruins of the city present a destructive picture, which is being rehabilitated by the $7 million financial assistance of UNESCO. The construction of the city was based on Islamic civilization.
 
Dahakh City:
The Dahakh city is situated 17 kilometers to the east of Bamyan city above a historical hill at the edge of Kabul-Bamyan road. According to the analysts, Dahak city is historical remnants of Samanies period, which was latter destroyed by Changiz, his grandson was also killed during a battle in the same city.
The ruins of defense walls and towers of Dahakh city are still visible. It received more damage in 1960 on the occasion of Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan because Mujahidin were using the city as defense shield. 
Baba Ghar: (mountain)
Baba ghar and kohi Aros is among the longest mountain ranges of Bamyan province. Shah Foladi point is the highest peak of the mountain rang located at the south of Bamyan province. It is 5,147 meters above the sea level. 
Formally registered in the “safety sites” with United Nation in 2012, the Baba Ghar has four natural lakes at its top having 10-12 meters depth and width of 12-15 acres.
The Baba Mountains are suitable for skiing and climbing. The trend of skiing started in 2008 but afterwards 12 national and international players for the first time skied. The Bamyan team won the competition.
 Later, the American climber came to Bamyan province and played the ski on the mountains.
Historically rich, the Bamyan province doesn’t have museum. The worthy remnants discovered in the recent past with the help of Germany, France and Japan. 
Celebrities:
The Bamyan province is the birth place of a numbers of celebrities such as Arbab Khadijah who for the first time activated telephone services in Bamyan province at the time of Sardar Dawood regime. Similarly, Nargas and Meer Nasar Beg are the prominent writer and philosophers.
Dr. Tahir Sharan, physics specialist, Ibrahim Tola, poet and writer, Mohammad Zahir Mosawi, Shafiq Qawm Yari, Mohammad Ameen Hujati, Jawad Asghari, Ameen Farhang, Bismillah Bamyani are among the contemporary celebrities.
Media:
Besides, the National Radio Television has four magazines and two local radios are broadcasting in the province.
The transmission of Kabul based Rahi Farda, Tamadon, and Aryana radio televisions are receivable through normal antenna in the province.
Although the media outlets are few in numbers in Bamyan with more than 20 journalists report from Bamyan province.
In the past decades, around 15 media outlets halt its broadcasts due to different reasons.
The media outlets do not show interest to send their representatives to Bamyan because the province remained peaceful. Even a single suicide blast did not take place since decades.
Education:
Education witnessed great improvement in Bamyan in the recent past. The number of students reaches to 135,000 out of these 60,000 are girls while 3,500 teachers are busy imparting education to students in around 350 schools. 
Approximately, seven institutions including university, Darululum, pedagogical institute provide higher and semi higher education services to the people.
The Bamyan University is inaugurated in 1979 having faculties of medical, art, and agriculture until it was closed down in 1998 due to instability in the country. Eventually, the varsity was reopened in 2004 having faculties of agriculture and education with the strength of 200 students.
Meanwhile, the university provides education to more than 2,600 students and 800 among them are female in faculties of agriculture, education social sciences and geology.
The university has 75 permanent teachers and produced five batches of bachelor graduates.
Industry:
Weaving carpets, blankets, clothes and designing the clothes are the major handcrafts of the province.
Bamyan won the first position in handcraft exhibition show conducted just recently. The Hazaragi carpets are the most popular product of this province throughout the world.
The tourists likes the handcrafts of Bamyan province specially the designing cloths. The cast of a single design piece is 4,000 Af and the tourist buy it with great satisfaction.
Different kinds of hand craft product of Bamyan province is exported to the foreign countries. However, due to the non existence of electricity and factories, the province could not be improved to get prosperity.
Agriculture:
Bamyan is an agrarian province with 90% of its economy is based on agriculture and livestock. Potato is the most abundant produced product of the province.
Potatoes of the province are not only popular in the country but also in Pakistan and Tajikistan where it is exported. In addition, wheat and corn are its producing grains while apricot, pear, apple are the popular fruit of Bamyan province, which is processed and packed by women and later exported to other provinces.
Bamyan is among the provinces where opium is not cultivated since a long time. The number of its farmers is estimated more than 60,000, while around one million animals are there including sheep, goats, bulls and cows.
Sports:
More than 12,740 athletes out of which 700 are females, got registered in 16 different kinds of sport federation in Bamyan province who play volleyball, basketball, football, taekwondo, karate, wrestling, snooker, chess, ski and climbing.
Despite facilities, athletes complain about lack of sports equipment in Bamyan.