16 Ghazni ancient sites being rehabilitated this year

Monitoring Desk

GHAZNI CITY: Sixteen ancient sites would be rehabilitated in Ghazni province this new solar year, an official said.

Ghazni was declared as the Capital of Islamic Civilization and Culture for the year 2013 when some countries assisted the province in reconstructing some of its heritage sites, but these sites again need to be repaired.

Ghazni information and culture director Bashir Mohammadi told Pajhwok Afghan News that 16 historic sites which had damaged would be repaired this year.

“Ghazni was assisted a lot in 2013, but the province was not developed as expected, its historic sites were not fundamentally repaired and only saved from being collapsed,” he said. He said the money for the reconstruction of historical sites were used on building symbolic gates in Ghazni city.

“Forty gates were built in Ghazni city on the donated money for the reconstruction of historic sites, one of the gates collapsed in an earthquake last year,” he said.

He added the plan for reconstruction of all historic sites in Ghazni had be-en shared with the Ministry of Information and Culture, but the ministry had decided to work only on 16 sites.

Mohammadi said a survey on the King Amanullah Khan Palace in Muqor district of Ghazni had been completed and the historic palace’s reconstruction would start in the near future.

However, Asadullah Jalalzai, a culturist in Ghazni City said Ghazni was a historic province but it had been ignored.

Asadullah Jalalzai said most of the province’s heritage sites were on the verge of destruction and needed immediate reconstruction.

“The Ministry of Information and Culture of Afghanistan in 2013 said it would reconstruct all historic sites of Ghazni, but it did nothing,” he said.

Asadullah Jalalzai said the government should pay serious attention to the province’s heritage wealth and pave the ground for tourists to visit them.

There are 35 historic sites in Ghazni and all of them need repair works.