Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam World Heritage Site, Ghor province
دجام منار اولرغون پیژندنی ساحه - د جهان فرهنگی میراث
منار وساحه باستانشناسی جام - میراث فرهنگی جهانی
Location: Jam, at confluence of Hari Rud and Jam Rud, 215 kilometres east of Herat, Shahrak District, Ghor Province, Afghanistan
Mailing address: Department of Historic Monuments, Ghor Provincial Office of Information and Culture, next to Sultan Shahabuddin High School, District 1, Chaghcharan, Ghor Province, Afghanistan
Proprietor: Ministry of Information and Culture - Department of Historic Monuments and Ghor Provincial Office of Information and Culture - Department of Historic Monuments
Contact: Mohammad Ahzam Director of Historic Monuments
Telephone: 93 (0) 794 201211
Period: Ghorid
Opening hours: Access by prior arrangement
The first Afghan monument to be inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2002, the 63-metre Minaret of Jam is thought to be the second tallest in the world. Constructed during the reign of Ghyasuddin Ghori (1157-1202) in the summer capital of the Ghorids - also known as Firuzkoh – the minaret might have been erected in celebration of the defeat of the Ghaznavids in Delhi in 1192. Rediscovered in 1886 by Sir Thomas Holditch, the minaret is situated in a remote valley on the banks of the Hari Rud river, which poses a significant threat during the spring floods. The shaft of the minaret retains fine-decorated brick and tile-work, forming bands of calligraphy in Kufic and Naksh script, along with geometric patterns. Due to erosion at the base of the minaret, which may have formed part of a larger mosque complex destroyed by flooding in the 13th century, it was protected by rock-filled gabions during the 1990s, and subsequently protected by a stone wall. The remains of a large courtyard building and brick paving were found by members of the Minaret of Jam Archaeological Project during 2003-2005. The area around the minaret shows signs of heavy looting, but ruins of stone and brick buildings, a kiln and cistern, and 12th- and 13th-century graves with Hebrew dedications were found. Continuing erosion at the base of the minaret has been the subject of an extended process of analysis and design, but lack of security has precluded any further intervention.
No comments:
Post a Comment