KABUL (Pajhwok): “The Minaret of Jam” exhibition presenting documentation of decades of works on the monument was inaugurated at the Italian Embassy in Kabul on Tuesday.

A joint venture of the Afghan government and UNESCO, the 3D survey of the minaret, one of the two world heritage sites in Afghanistan , was done in 2017.

The Afghan government‐UNESCO mission is shown for the first time to the public alongside the drawings and photo‐documentation elaborated during the 1960s and 70s by the Italian architect Andrea Bruno, which constitute the first known scientific survey of the minaret, a UNESCO statement said.

After the opening ceremony at the Italian Embassy, the exhibition will be moved to the Pavilion of the Babur Gardens in Kabul.

Built in 1194 at the command of Sultan Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad, Sultan of the Ghurid dynasty at its zenith, the minaret is a testimony to the prosperity attained in Afghanistan and its Islamic culture.

A remarkable engineering feat, the minaret rises to a height of 65-meters from a 9-meter diameter octagonal base and embodies an outstanding level of artistic and technical creativity. The graceful structure is known to have influenced the construction of the Qutb Minar in Delhi, the tallest brick minaret in the world.

The Minaret of Jam is located in Ghor province at the confluence of the Harirud and Jam Rud rivers. The minaret’s isolated location may have prevented the monument from willful destruction and vandalism in the past.

However, its seclusion complicates execution of stabilization works and long‐term maintenance. At the opening ceremony, Ambassador Roberto Cantone said the wealth of Afghanistan’s heritage and challenges it faced required collaborative support of all concerned.

Minister of Finance Dr. Mohammad Humayun Qayumi said the government of Afghanistan believed promotion of Afghan culture and history would consolidate the nation building process.

Ms. Patricia McPhillips, the Director and Representative of the UNESCO Office for Afghanistan, in her remarks said accomplishments achieved including the exhaustive documentation on the Minaret of Jam in the past year was only possible with the strong belief and direct support of the Afghan government and the international community.

“By presenting an exhaustive documentation, the exhibition leads the visitor through the structural perfection of the Minaret and the beauty of its interior and exterior brick work and decorations.”

In order to provide a venue more easily accessible to the public, the exhibition will be moved to the Pavilion at Babur Gardens where it will remain open from the 9th to the 25th of August.

pr/ma