Abstract
The Bamiyan Valley is one of the regions with a rich historical background in the central part of Afghanistan, which throughout history was a gathering place for tourists, trade caravans, and religious missionaries from all over the world. This movement led to the collision of different cultures and different beliefs and beliefs. Bamiyan had the capacity to accept all these differences and resolve them within itself; therefore, many symbols, signs, works, and evidence in the form of paintings, figurative and semi-figurative arts from different periods and different cultures appeared in the caves, temples, and sculptures of this valley. From the most ancient times to the Kushan period and the Islamic era, many historical works and evidence have remained in this mountainous valley. The present study has attempted to answer the question, taking into account the conditions, possibilities, and historical, descriptive-analytical methods, of what is the meaning and subject of the murals in the Buddhist caves of Bamiyan Valley, which include some of the existing signs? In fact, this research was conducted with the aim of achieving the symbolic meaning of each painting in the Buddhist caves of Bamiyan in the cultural context of its era, and in order to achieve this goal, the author has reviewed the murals in the caves around the Buddha statues, the caves of the Kakrak Valley, the Ghamay and Qol Akram caves. Given the excessive destruction of the remaining images, in addition to the author's photographs, images from books, articles, the archives of the National Museum of Afghanistan, and websites have been reviewed, compared, and analyzed. The above research showed that all the images used in the caves around the Buddhas of Bamiyan belonged to Buddhism and represented the symbolic movements of Buddha and Bodhisattvas, which were sometimes influenced by the arts of other surrounding cultures such as Sasanian art, Gandhara art, Greek and Buddhist art.
Keywords: Afghanistan, Bamiyan, mural painting, Buddha statues, symbology.
Introduction
In Indian art, Buddhist symbols are divided into three general categories: 1- non-iconic symbols such as the wheel of Dharma, the blue lotus, and the lion; 2- Semi-iconic symbols such as the stupa, the empty throne, and the footprint; 3- Iconic symbols: Buddha statues and reliefs (Javadi, 2007: 5). In the works examined in Bamiyan, valuable evidence of all three of the aforementioned symbols remains that is helpful in understanding this art; however, it must be acknowledged that the main purpose of this research is to study and examine the symbols, signs, and meanings hidden in the wall paintings in the Buddhist caves of the Bamiyan Valley. Buddhism entered Afghanistan and then Bamiyan in the 3rd century BC during the Mauryan Ashoka era (reign: 268-232 BC). Since then, Afghanistan, centered on Bamiyan, Baghlan, and Samangan, has been known as the second center of Buddhists in the world after India, and has spread from this region to other regions near and far (Samimi, 2016: 77). This has led to the artistic elements of Buddhism, which carried religious messages and teachings, being very prominent in the form of paintings, sculptures, and symbolic movements in the Buddhist caves of Bamiyan Province. These elements are abundantly seen in the caves around the Buddha statues (Salsal and Shahmama), the caves of the Kakrak Valley, and the caves of the Ghamay region - the entrance to the Foladi Valley, which, unfortunately, have been carved in the last few years for various reasons and are not recognizable or legible. This article is methodologically historical and descriptive-analytical, as it explores and analyzes the symbolic meaning of wall paintings in the Buddhist caves of Bamiyan province. Data collection was in the form of documents (library) and field activities, which include reviewing the study sites and collecting images.
 
Discussion
Bamyan is one of the regions with a long history in central Afghanistan. Throughout its history, and especially during the Kushan rule in the region, it was a gathering place for tourists, trade caravans, and religious missionaries on a side route of the so-called Silk Road; a route that separated from the main road in Balkh and continued southward to the central regions of Afghanistan and to Bamyan, and from there to historical India (historical India). This gathering and gathering led to the exchange of different cultures, different beliefs, and ideas, and on the other hand, this issue led to the growth of architecture, painting, and sculpture in Bamyan, which resulted in the creation of unique works of art; works such as Buddha statues, the 10-meter statue of Dara Kakrak, paintings with different themes that have their roots in the teachings of Buddhism. The remains of the Kushan period are in three forms: iconographic (Buddha statues, stupas, and temples), semi-iconographic (rock reliefs and cave ceiling decorations), and non-iconographic (oil paintings and other decorations). All the images used in the caves around the Buddhist statues, the caves of the Kakrak Valley, and the entrance to the Steel Valley (Shahr-e-Shahi) in the center of Bamyan belong to Buddhism and depict symbolic movements of Buddha and Bodhisattvas, painted in oil. Japanese researcher Ms. Taniguchi, through research and exploration in Bamyan and by examining the historical structures of this area, has succeeded in discovering the world's first oil painting in Buddhist caves. According to Taniguchi, these paintings probably date back to the 7th century AD. The paintings are made from a mixture of natural resin, gum, drying oil, animal oil, and possibly poppy and walnut oil, which both adds shine and strength to the paintings; but unfortunately, despite their strength and the conservation activities carried out by domestic and foreign cultural organizations, a significant amount of these works of art have been destroyed for various reasons. The themes hidden in these paintings include mudras, which are actually religious symbols of Buddhism. In this article, in addition to introducing the Dharma Wheel seen in the Bamiyan murals and the conceptualization of mudras, the various types of mudras are introduced, including the Dhyana Mudra or Mudra of Concentration, Vitarka Mudra, also known as the Mudra of Reasoning or Teaching, Dharma Chakra Mudra, also known as the Mudra of the Wheel of Law and the Mudra of Education, as well as the conceptualization of the role of the dove in the paintings and the image of the lotus flower, and the symbolism of the colors used in the paintings. In the murals of the Buddhist caves of the Bamiyan Valley, everything is calculated and worked with precision and elegance. From the motifs and designs to the use of colors and the subjects of the paintings and the objects depicted in this gallery, everything has a deep and precise religious meaning and concept.
 
Conclusion
The narrow and mountainous valley of Bamiyan, due to the existence of unique historical landmarks and beautiful natural landscapes, can be interpreted as the wonderland of Afghanistan. In this valley, which has been the meeting point of the civilizations of the East and the West and the stopping place of trade caravans, religious missionaries and tourists, in addition to natural beauties, dozens of human masterpieces stand out, each of which is a symbol of human genius and creativity in different time periods; However, the current state of cultural heritage and historical monuments of Bamiyan, especially the works of the Buddhist era in this land, due to the reflection of different and non-Islamic cultural elements, have fallen victim to the ideological approaches of religious people and have been damaged in different historical periods after the arrival of Islam in this land. This article was written to understand the signs, symbols, and inscriptions carved in the Buddhist caves of the Bamiyan Valley. For this purpose, books and articles were used, and information was analyzed from written and visual sources, and a comparative study of the images and symbols in the Buddhist caves of Bamiyan was used. The present study showed that the main focus of the cave paintings in Bamiyan was the meaningful gestures of Buddha, Bodhisattvas, and their followers. In addition to examining these gestures, which are known as "mudra," the understanding of the Buddha's position in the image and the representation of the elements that had a high status in the presence of Buddha and his religion were examined. Buddhist missionaries and their supporters used any means to highlight the aforementioned items, and sometimes even borrowed styles and methods from other cultures. For this reason, many of the Buddhist paintings of Bamiyan also show traces of Greco-Buddhist art, Sasanian art, Central Asian art, and Gandhara art; but the footprint of Sasanian art is more evident in these motifs than in other arts. To the extent that this has caused many historians and writers to deny that the giant statues of Bamiyan are Buddhist and consider them to be related to the goddess Mehr (goddess of the sun) and Anahita (goddess of the moonlight) of the Sasanian period. In the mural art of the Bamiyan Valley, what stands out most is the divinity of the images and symbols. By examining the motifs and symbols, we realize that each has its roots in the beliefs and beliefs of their creators and in some way reflects the religious issues, teachings, and practices of Buddha and his followers; to the extent that the colors used in the images have specific meanings and concepts in Buddhism.