2 World Heritage Sites in Danger in Afghanistan
- Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley
- Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam
Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley
Bamyan or Bamyan Valley is the capital of Bamyan Province in central Afghanistan. Its population of approximately 70,000 people makes it the largest city in Hazarajat – a mostly mountainous region in the central highlands of Afghanistan.
The city of Bamyan joined the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a Crafts and Folk Art city in 2017. The Bamiyan Valley is noted as the most monumental expression of western Buddhism. Bamiyan is now listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in Danger.
Bamyan is referred to by some as the “Shining Light” and “Valley of Gods. The cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamiyan Valley represent the artistic and religious developments which from the 1st to the 13th centuries characterized ancient Bakhtria, integrating various cultural influences into the Gandhara school of Buddhist art.
The area contains numerous Buddhist monastic ensembles and sanctuaries, as well as fortified edifices from the Islamic period. The site is also testimony to the tragic destruction by the Taliban of the two standing Buddha statues, which shook the world in March 2001.
Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam
The Minaret of Jam is located in a remote and nearly inaccessible region of the Shahrak District, Ghor Province, next to the Hari River.
The 65m-tall Minaret of Jam belongs to a group of around 60 minarets and towers built between the 11th and the 13th centuries in Central Asia, Iran and Afghanista, is a graceful, soaring structure, dating back to the 12th century.
Covered in elaborate brickwork with a blue tile inscription at the top, it is noteworthy for the quality of its architecture and decoration, which represent the culmination of an architectural and artistic tradition in this region. Its impact is heightened by its dramatic setting, a deep river valley between towering mountains in the heart of the Ghur province.
The Minaret of Jaam is probably located at the site of the Ghurid Dynasty’s capital, Firozkoh. The archaeological landscape around Jam includes the ruins of a ‘palace’, fortifications, a pottery kiln and a Jewish cemetery, and has been suggested to be the remains of the lost city of Turquoise Mountain.
The site was nomintated as Afghanistan’s first World Heritage site in 2002. It was also inscribed in UNESCO’s list of World Heritage in Danger, due to the precarious state of preservation of the minaret, and the results of looting at the site.
