Buddha appeared on a three-dimensional projection filling the alcove that once hosted the iconic statue for centuries.
(Photograph:AFP)
Remembering Buddha
It happened on the day when two famous Buddha statues were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001 in central Afghanistan's Bamiyan valley.
(Photograph:AFP)
Hundreds witness the event
To witness the virtual appearance of the 55-metre (155-feet) high statue that once stood, hundreds of people gathered at the base of the cliff where ancient caves, monasteries, and shrines have also been installed.
(Photograph:AFP)
People should not forget 'horrific crime'
"We do not want people to forget what a horrific crime was committed here," Zahra Hussaini, one of the organisers of the "A night with Buddha" event, was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.
(Photograph:AFP)
Taliban received condemnation
The Taliban was internationally condemned after the centuries-old statues were destroyed by the Taliban to target non-Islamic religious and cultural sites.
"These moments also remind you of what a great treasure we lost," Gulsoom Zahra, a 23-year-old native who attended the ceremony said.