30. The Buddhas of Bamiyan, Afghanistan

Carbon dating of the two colossal statues date to about 570 CE for the Eastern one, and 618 CE for the second. They were built as a holy site for visits along the Silk Road, back when the Hephthalite Empire ruled the region. In the modern day, this area is located in a valley in central Afghanistan. Given the circumstances, it is somewhat obvious even before, it wasn’t exactly the most popular tourist destination.

However, the sheer scale of these statues is awe-inspiring. They survived all the way into the twenty-first century, though not for lack of trying on the part of many to destroy them. Built into the mountain as they were, it was not so easy. Eventually, the Taliban deemed them idols and destroyed them entirely. It was not an easy process, even with modern-day artillery.