Some historical sites in Ghazni on the verge of collapse

GHAZNI CITY (Pajhwok): Residents of southern Ghazni province say some historical sites in the province are on the verge of destruction, asking the government to pay attention to their preservation. Abdul Rahman, a tribal leader, told Pajhwok Afghan News that many historic monuments and cultural sites exited in Ghazni, but they got destroyed due to lack
of attention.
He said one of the historical monuments in Ghazni was Ghaznain fort, which was about 3,500 years old, and 15 of the total 36 towers had collapsed and the rest were on the verge of collapse. He said: “The minarets of Ghazni, the old city, Bala Hisar, Hazrat Usmani’s mosque, Begum Minaret, Sardar Tapa, Sheikh Abdul Salam tomb, Seikh Abdul Razzaq’s tomb and some other historical places and monuments have a great value, but are in worse condition.” Another tribal elder, Sufi Malakhil said that if Ghazni’s historic sites were not preserved, they would get ruined.
He said: “Each cultural work and monument is actually a leaf of our proud history, if these sites get destroyed, it will mean a page from history is vanished. The disappearance of pages means that the history, cultural and continuity of values between our generation will disappear.”
Mullah Hamidullah Nisar, director of information and culture of Ghazni, told Pajhwok: “Efforts are underway and we have contacted the ministry several times in this regard, so that many historical sites of Ghazni can be restored.”
According to him, in the beginning of this year, 10 historical sites were damaged in Ghazni due to earthquake, including Ghaznain fort, the floor stones of the minarets, and several other areas. These sites will be restored this year, he said.
He asked international cultural organizations to extend their support in protecting historical monuments. About 100 historical sites and monuments in Ghazni are registered with the Ministry of Information and Culture.
Ghazni was declared the Center of Islamic Civilization in 2013.