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  • Claudio Corallo is looking after one of the groups of tourists that every week visit his laboratory to taste his amazing products, and to learn more about his unique types of coffee and chocolate, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    023_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • A young man is walking near an old Portuguese house in Claudio Corallo's Nova Moca plantation, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    081_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Children living in Roça Ribeira Funda are making and playing with wood carts, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    062_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Claudio Corallo is showing a handful of cocoa drying on a wood desiccator in the technical area of his plantation on the island of Principe, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    055_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • A woman is walking on the road leading to Pico Maria Fernandes, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    052_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • The priest of the local evangelical church ‘Assembly of God’ is talking to people attending Sunday morning mass on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    007_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Hamidah, 6, (Centre) is playing with a shovel while other members of the family are washing clothes or arranging morning duties, in front the cave they live since seven years, during a cold winter morning in Bamyan, central Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. A historically persecuted minority (15%) due to more lenient Islamic faith and characteristic 'Eastern' lineaments, Hazaras constitute the 70% of Bamyan's population.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_63.JPG
  • Children are playing in front of an inhabited section of the cliff where once stood the two giant Buddhas of Bamyan, in central Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. A historically persecuted minority (15%) due to more lenient Islamic faith and characteristic 'Eastern' lineaments, Hazaras constitute the 70% of Bamyan's population.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_59.JPG
  • A boy and his father are transporting gas cylinders with the use of donkeys in a small town on the road from Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, to the mountain village of Bamiyan, located on the Hindu Kush range. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi, a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France, and a teacher in Strasbourg University, has been searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha statue in various sites between the original standing ones, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century. Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi048.jpg
  • Professor Zemaryali Tarzi, (right) a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France and teacher in Strasbourg University, is portrayed discussing with one of his assistants on the excavation field where he is searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha. The statue should be located between the original two standing Buddhas, Afghanistan, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi014.JPG
  • In the evening Claudio Corallo rests in his house and plantation on the island of Principe, in Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    Stories_Portfolio_044.JPG
  • Claudio Corallo is following production orders of coffee and chocolate in his laboratory on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    084_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • A worker is picking fresh coffee beans in the Nova Moca plantation of Claudio Corallo, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    080_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • A local festival called ‘Tragedy’ is taking place in the village of Santo Amaro on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    070_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • A local festival called ‘Tragedy’ is taking place in the village of Santo Amaro on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    069_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • The island of Principe is being overflown by a small plane that connects it with Sao Tome, in Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    018_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • A fisherman is rowing on his boat near the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    013_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • A girl is standing by near her home in Roça Agua Ize', on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    008_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Milad, 2, is portrayed during a snowy winter morning in front of the cave where he lives with his family since seven years, in Bamyan, central Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. A historically persecuted minority (15%) due to more lenient Islamic faith and characteristic 'Eastern' lineaments, Hazaras constitute the 70% of Bamyan's population.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_65.JPG
  • Fatemah, 12, is walking near the cave where she lives with her family since seven years, during a cold winter morning in Bamyan, central Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. A historically persecuted minority (15%) due to more lenient Islamic faith and characteristic 'Eastern' lineaments, Hazaras constitute the 70% of Bamyan's population.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_62.JPG
  • Maryam, 38, (Left) is sitting near the wood stove inside her family cave along two of her young daughters, Halemah, 9, (Centre) and Hamidah, 6, (Right) during the late afternoon hours when it is too cold to be spending time outside, in Bamyan, central Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. A historically persecuted minority (15%) due to more lenient Islamic faith and characteristic 'Eastern' lineaments, Hazaras constitute the 70% of Bamyan's population.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_53.JPG
  • A Japanese woman belonging to the maintenance and restoration team in Bamiyan is working on emergency fixtures on the walls of an ancient Buddhist cave on the premises of the archaeological site. The Japanese team of experts has been visiting the town for various years to find a long-term solution to its slow but unceasing disappearance. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi, a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France, and a teacher in Strasbourg University, has been searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha statue in various sites between the original standing ones, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century. Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi030.JPG
  • An Afghan child is carrying flowers through a field in Bamiyan, a small Afghan town mostly populated by Hazaras. The cliff where once stood the Western Buddha (55m - 'Male') is photographed after sunset in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi, a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France, and a teacher in Strasbourg University, has been searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha statue in various sites between the original standing ones, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century. Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi039.JPG
  • A young boy is riding his donkey home after having collected water water from a small river in Bamyan, Afghanistan. In the town there is no electricity or running water. Power is only being provided by generators or solar panels. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi, a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France, and a teacher in Strasbourg University, has been searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha statue in various sites between the original standing ones, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century. Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi009.JPG
  • A fisherman is rowing on his boat near the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    Stories_Portfolio_048.JPG
  • Fishermen are looking for banks of fish near the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    Stories_Portfolio_047.JPG
  • Two workers, in charge of gathering the cocoa harvest, are walking next to a big shade tree, in the plantation of Claudio Corallo on the island of Principe, in Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    Stories_Portfolio_046.JPG
  • Workers are selecting raisins that Claudio Corallo uses for his varieties of chocolates with alcoholic distillates, while in his laboratory on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    082_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Children are playing inside the old hospital of Roça Agostinho Neto, where they now live with their families, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    065_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Fishermen are working near the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    060_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • The chocolate produced by Claudio Corallo is being spread on a tray in his laboratory on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    056_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Workers are selecting and bagging fresh coffee beans in the Nova Moca plantation of Claudio Corallo, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    053_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • A man is wearing a Barack Obama t-shirt while standing around a fish market in Praia Cruz, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    046_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • At sunrise, fishermen are preparing their nets before venturing into the sea with their boat in Praia Cruz, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    043_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Different stamps used for the products of Claudio Corallo are exposed in his laboratory on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    040_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • A worker is turning cocoa beans brewing in the technical area of the Claudio Corallo’s plantation on the island of Principe, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    037_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Youngsters are diving into the sea near Claudio Corallo’s home on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    032_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Sitting next to an open beer, a mother is tying her draught’s braids in a small market area on the island of Principe, in Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    028_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Children living in Roça Ribeira Funda are standing around at sunset, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    010_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • A local festival called ‘Tragedy’ is taking place in the village of Santo Amaro on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    006_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • A worker is selecting toasted cocoa, during the last process before it becomes chocolate, in the technical area of Claudio Corallo's Nova Moca plantation, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    005_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Claudio Corallo is feeling the aromas released from a handful of cocoa that is drying on a wood desiccator in the technical area of his plantation on the island of Principe, in Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    002_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Maryam, 38, (Left) is warming her hands near the wood stove inside the cave where she live with her family since seven years, in Bamyan, central Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. A historically persecuted minority (15%) due to more lenient Islamic faith and characteristic 'Eastern' lineaments, Hazaras constitute the 70% of Bamyan's population.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_76.JPG
  • Hamidah, 6, is sitting alone next to a cave dug out of the friable the cliff where once stood the two giant Buddhas of Bamyan during the late afternoon hours when the Sun is setting on the Hindu Kush mountain range, in Bamyan, central Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. A historically persecuted minority (15%) due to more lenient Islamic faith and characteristic 'Eastern' lineaments, Hazaras constitute the 70% of Bamyan's population.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_73.JPG
  • Villages are photographed from the air while travelling over the Hidu Kush range between Kabul and Bamyan, central Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. A historically persecuted minority (15%) due to more lenient Islamic faith and characteristic 'Eastern' lineaments, Hazaras constitute the 70% of Bamyan's population.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_71.JPG
  • Halemah, 9, is running after her family's donkey on the way to collect water downhill. Halemah lives in the caves with her family since seven years, in Bamyan, central Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. A historically persecuted minority (15%) due to more lenient Islamic faith and characteristic 'Eastern' lineaments, Hazaras constitute the 70% of Bamyan's population.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_57.JPG
  • Fatemah, 12, (Right) and her mother, Maryam, 38, (Left) are sitting in front of the cave where they live since seven years, during a cold winter morning in Bamyan, central Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. A historically persecuted minority (15%) due to more lenient Islamic faith and characteristic 'Eastern' lineaments, Hazaras constitute the 70% of Bamyan's population.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_58.JPG
  • The cliff where once stood the two giant Buddhas of Bamyan is photographed at night from a nearby hill by the homonymous town, in central Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_51.JPG
  • An Afghan man is carrying a papaya on the streets of Bamiyan's new bazaar. The cliff where once stood the Western Buddha (55m - 'Male') is photographed after sunset in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi, a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France, and a teacher in Strasbourg University, has been searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha statue in various sites between the original standing ones, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century. Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi049.jpg
  • Afghans are building a small local Mosque in a rocky village located near Bamyian's archaeological site. The cliff where once stood the Western Buddha (55m - 'Male') is photographed after sunset in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi, a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France, and a teacher in Strasbourg University, has been searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha statue in various sites between the original standing ones, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century. Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi046.jpg
  • An Italian archaeologist is working on the maintenance and restoration of the Buddhas of Bamiyan's site in collaboration with a Japanese team of experts who has been visiting the town for various years to find a long-term solution to its slow but unceasing disappearance. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi, a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France, and a teacher in Strasbourg University, has been searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha statue in various sites between the original standing ones, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century. Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi045.jpg
  • Old, unusable tanks left in Bamiyan after the Russian invasion of Afghanistan are being enveloped by growing weeds while sitting as relics in what has become a field for cultivating potatoes. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi, a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France, and a teacher in Strasbourg University, has been searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha statue in various sites between the original standing ones, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century. Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi026.JPG
  • A villager is harvesting wheat in one of the fields located next to the Buddhas of Bamiyan's archaeological site. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi, a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France, and a teacher in Strasbourg University, has been searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha statue in various sites between the original standing ones, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century. Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi027.JPG
  • An Afghan elder is sleeping on the streets of Bamiyan's new bazaar. The cliff where once stood the Western Buddha (55m - 'Male') is photographed after sunset in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi, a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France, and a teacher in Strasbourg University, has been searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha statue in various sites between the original standing ones, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century. Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi037.JPG
  • ANP officers (Afghan National Police) are posing for a portrait in their booth along Bamiyanís new bazaar. The cliff where once stood the Western Buddha (55m - 'Male') is photographed after sunset in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi, a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France, and a teacher in Strasbourg University, has been searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha statue in various sites between the original standing ones, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century. Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi035.JPG
  • A river running through the Hindu Kush, the mountain range crossing Afghanistan and separating Kabul from Bamiyan, is photographed from a UNAMA helicopter on its way to the capital. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi, a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France, and a teacher in Strasbourg University, has been searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha statue in various sites between the original standing ones, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century. Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi033.JPG
  • Members of the Japanese maintenance and restoration team in Bamiyan are collecting and cataloguing remains of ancient Buddhist and Islamic artefacts found on the premises of the archaeological site. The Japanese team of experts has been visiting the town for various years to find a long-term solution to its slow but unceasing disappearance. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi, a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France, and a teacher in Strasbourg University, has been searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha statue in various sites between the original standing ones, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century...Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi015.JPG
  • A Japanese woman belonging to the maintenance and restoration team in Bamiyan is working on emergency fixtures on the walls of an ancient Buddhist cave on the premises of the archaeological site. The Japanese team of experts has been visiting the town for various years to find a long-term solution to its slow but unceasing disappearance. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi, a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France, and a teacher in Strasbourg University, has been searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha statue in various sites between the original standing ones, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century. Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi013.JPG
  • An Afghan archaeologist is working on the maintenance and restoration of the Buddhas of Bamiyanís archaeological site in collaboration with a Japanese team of experts who has been visiting the town for various years to find a long-term solution to its slow but unceasing disappearance. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi, a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France, and a teacher in Strasbourg University, has been searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha statue in various sites between the original standing ones, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century. Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi006.JPG
  • Professor Zemaryali Tarzi, (left) a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France and teacher in Strasbourg University, is portrayed on his excavation field while searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha statue between the original standing Buddhas of Bamiyan, Afghanistan, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi003.JPG
  • An Afghan woman is walking through a field of blossoming flowers in Bamiyan, a small Afghan town mostly populated by Hazaras. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modeled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi, a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France, and a teacher in Strasbourg University, has been searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha statue in various sites between the original standing ones, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century. Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi002.JPG
  • The cliff where once stood the two Giant Buddhas of Bamiyan is photographed after sunset in the small Afghan town, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi, a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France, and a teacher in Strasbourg University, has been searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha statue in various sites between the original standing ones, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century. Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi001.JPG
  • A worker is selecting toasted cocoa, during the last process before it becomes chocolate, in the technical area of Claudio Corallo's Nova Moca plantation, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    Stories_Portfolio_049.JPG
  • Claudio Corallo is feeling the aromas released from a handful of cocoa that is drying on a wood desiccator in the technical area of his plantation on the island of Principe, in Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    Stories_Portfolio_045.JPG
  • Claudio Corallo is pruning a Liberian-quality coffee plant in his plantation on the island of Principe, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    078_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • A Ngembu bat is flying between trees in the plantation of Claudio Corallo on the island of Principe, in Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    075_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • The island of Principe is being overflown by a small plane that connects it with Sao Tome, in Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    074_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Two workers are getting paid in the technical area of the Nova Moca plantation of Claudio Corallo, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    072_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • A local singer is entertaining guests at a trendy restaurant on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    066_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Children living in Roça Ribeira Funda are playing with wood carts, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    064_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • People living in the old hospital of Roça Agostinho Neto are walking down the stairs leading to their rooms, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    063_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • A dog is walking next to a house of Roça Agostinho Neto, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    061_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Fishermen are trying to catch a bank of fish near the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    059_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Claudio Corallo is portrayed by the entrance of his house on the island of Principe, in Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    057_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Workers are turning cocoa that is drying on a wood desiccator in the technical area of Claudio Corallo’s plantation on the island of Principe, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    054_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Two girls are playing on the streets of Roça  Monte Café’, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    051_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • A soccer game is being playing near the village of Treinidade Lamus, near the city of Sao Tome, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    050_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • With her child on the back, a young mother is walking the stairs up to their home in Roça Agua Ize', on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    049_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Children are playing inside the old hospital of Roça Agostinho Neto, where they now live with their families, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    045_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Fishermen are selling the fish caught in the morning, in Praia Cruz, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    044_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • A worker selecting raisins that Claudio Corallo uses for his varieties of chocolates with alcoholic distillates, while in his laboratory on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    039_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Workers are selecting and bagging coffee beans picked in the Nova Moca plantation of Claudio Corallo, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    036_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • One of the cocoa varieties that are growing in Claudio Corallo’s plantation on the island of Principe, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    035_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • A worker is picking cocoa in the plantation of Claudio Corallo on the island of Principe, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    034_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Children living inside the old hospital of Roça Agostinho Neto, are playing on the streets of the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    033_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Women and youngsters are washing clothes and dishes in Ribeira Afonso, on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    029_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Fishermen are working near the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    025_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • A girl is walking around a market on the island of Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    020_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Workers are opening cocoa fruits, and from them picking beans, in the plantation of Claudio Corallo on the island of Principe, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    016_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • A worker is picking cocoa in the plantation of Claudio Corallo on the island of Principe, Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    004_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • In the evening Claudio Corallo rests in his house and plantation on the island of Principe, in Sao Tome and Principe, (STP) a former Portuguese colony in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa.
    001_King_of_Chocolate_Corallo.JPG
  • Mina, 35, (Right) is standing in front of her makeshift house built around one of the caves with her eldest son, 11,(Left) during a cold winter morning in Bamyan, central Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. <br />
<br />
A historically persecuted minority (15%) due to more lenient Islamic faith and characteristic 'Eastern' lineaments, Hazaras constitute the 70% of Bamyan's population.<br />
<br />
After the Taliban were driven from the region by American troops, many Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs) returned to their homes to find them destroyed. <br />
<br />
Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. <br />
<br />
It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_79.JPG
  • Hamidah, 6, (Left) and her two sisters Fatemah, 12, and Halemah, 9, are collecting water from a hand-pump situated on ground level a few hundred's meters from the cave where they live with their family since seven years, during a cold winter morning in Bamyan, central Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. A historically persecuted minority (15%) due to more lenient Islamic faith and characteristic 'Eastern' lineaments, Hazaras constitute the 70% of Bamyan's population.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_75.JPG
  • A woman and her son are waling along the bazaar in the centre of Bamyan, central Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. A historically persecuted minority (15%) due to more lenient Islamic faith and characteristic 'Eastern' lineaments, Hazaras constitute the 70% of Bamyan's population.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_68.JPG
  • Sayed Mohammad Hussein, 22, is walking next to the entrance of the cave where he lives with his family since seven years, during a cold winter morning in Bamyan, central Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. A historically persecuted minority (15%) due to more lenient Islamic faith and characteristic 'Eastern' lineaments, Hazaras constitute the 70% of Bamyan's population.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_69.JPG
  • Fatemah, 12, (Left) and her younger sisters Hamidah, 6, (Centre) and Halemah, 9, (Right) are eating a meagre breakfast next to the wood stove in the cave where they live with their family since seven years, in Bamyan, central Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. A historically persecuted minority (15%) due to more lenient Islamic faith and characteristic 'Eastern' lineaments, Hazaras constitute the 70% of Bamyan's population.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_61.JPG
  • Kobra, 17, is tearing while taking care of the fire due to the heavy smoke filling the cave where she now lives with her husband since seven years, in Bamyan, central Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. A historically persecuted minority (15%) due to more lenient Islamic faith and characteristic 'Eastern' lineaments, Hazaras constitute the 70% of Bamyan's population.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_56.JPG
  • Fatemah, 12, is blowing in her hands to warm up in the early hours of a cold winter morning in the cave where her family resides since seven years, in Bamyan, central Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. A historically persecuted minority (15%) due to more lenient Islamic faith and characteristic 'Eastern' lineaments, Hazaras constitute the 70% of Bamyan's population.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_55.JPG
  • Fatemah, 12, is walking out of the cave where she lives with her family since seven years, in Bamyan, central Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. A historically persecuted minority (15%) due to more lenient Islamic faith and characteristic 'Eastern' lineaments, Hazaras constitute the 70% of Bamyan's population.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_52.JPG
  • An Afghan boy is walking near Bamyian's archaeological site. The cliff where once stood the Western Buddha (55m - 'Male') is photographed after sunset in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, an area mostly populated by Hazaras. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th century monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamiyan valley in the Hazarajat region of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul at an altitude of 2500 meters. The statues represented the classic blended style of Gandhara art. The main bodies were hewn directly from the sandstone cliffs, but details were modelled in mud mixed with straw, coated with stucco. Amid widespread international condemnation, the smaller statues (55 and 39 meters respectively) were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban because they believed them to be un-Islamic idols. Once a stopping point along the Silk Road between China and the Middle East, researchers think Bamiyan was the site of monasteries housing as many as 5,000 monks during its peak as a Buddhist centre in the 6th and 7th centuries. It is now a UNESCO Heritage Site since 2003. Archaeologists from various countries across the world have been engaged in preservation, general maintenance around the site and renovation. Professor Tarzi, a notable An Afghan-born archaeologist from France, and a teacher in Strasbourg University, has been searching for a legendary 300m Sleeping Buddha statue in various sites between the original standing ones, as documented in the old account of a renowned Chinese scholar, Xuanzang, visiting the area in the 7th century. Professor Tarzi worked on projects to restore the other Bamiyan Buddhas in the late 1970s and has spent most of his career researching the existence of the missing giant Buddha in the valley.
    Bamiyan_UNESCO_Alex_Masi050.jpg
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