KABUL: The government of Afghanistan and UNESCO inaugurated exhibition “The Minaret of Jam”, presenting the documentation of decades of works on the monument, one of the two World Heritage Sites in Afghanistan, a press release from the organization’s office in Kabul said yesterday. The exhibition organized within the scope of the Afghanistan’s National Program for Culture and Creative Economy (NPCE).
The 3D survey of the Minaret done in 2017, during a joint Afghan government – UNESCO mission is shown for the first time to the public, alongside and in counterpoint to the drawingsand photo-documentation elaborated during the 1960s and 70s by the Italian architect Andrea Brun, which constitute the first known scientific survey of the minaret, the press release added.
During the opening ceremony, Ambassador Roberto Cantone has emphasized as ”despite the challenging security situation, we are glad to host the exhibition at the Embassy. It is important to say that the wealth of Afghanistan’s heritage and the challenges it faces require the collaborative support of all concerned by such an important endeavor.”
Meanwhile the mistier of Finance, Dr. Mohammad Humayun Qayumi said that as the chair of the Steering Committee of the NPCE, the Ministry of Finance, and the Government of Afghanistan, believe that the promotion of our culture and history will consolidate the process of nation building.”
Afterward, Ms. Patricia McPhillips, the Director and Representative of the UNESCO Office for Afghanistan, commented on the collaborative effort of NPCE in her remarks stating, ”The accomplishments achieved including this 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.”
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, the press release added.
The Minaret of Jam is located in Ghor Province, Afghanistan, 200km east of Herat, at the confluence of the Hari Rud and Jam Rud rivers. The minaret’s isolated location may have prevented the monument from wilful destruction and vandalism in the past; however, now, its seclusion complicates the execution of stabilization works and the long- term maintenance of this heritage site. The safeguarding the Minaret presents important challenges and requires the collaborative efforts of the Afghan Government, of UNESCO, and of the international community.
The Kabul Times
