AFGHANISTAN: An 800-year-old minaret considered one of the finest examples of Islamic architecture in Afghanistan was damaged by two earthquakes this week and is in danger of collapse, an official has said.
The Minaret of Jam, a UNESCO world heritage monument in the central province of Ghor, was in desperate need of repair even before Monday's quakes, but provincial official Abdul Hai Zaeem told AFP the 65-metre (213-foot) structure had weakened further.
"Some of the bricks have come off and the minaret itself has tilted more," Zaeem, head of Ghor's information and culture department, said late Wednesday.
"If proper attention is not given, it is possible that the minaret will collapse."
Monday's twin quakes killed at least 22 people and destroyed hundreds of homes in western Badghis province, with the tremors felt across the country. "Although an earthquake did occur a few days ago... there is no evidence at the moment to support the theory that the minaret has become fragile," UNESCO said in a statement. Built in the 12th Century during the reign of Sultan Ghiyasuddin, the Minaret of Jam has weathered earthquakes, floods and harsh desert storms -- and the years have taken their toll. In 2002, the minaret and its archaeological remains became the first site in Afghanistan to be added to UNESCO's World Heritage List.
- THE HINDUSTAN TIMES
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