Associated Press: The Taliban fighters arrived with hammers and hatred. What they left behind is laid out on tables at the National Museum of Afghanistan, 18 years later: shattered pieces of ancient Buddha figurines, smashed because they were judged to be against Islam. Click here to read more (external link).
Defense One: The group continues to attack sites and antiquities. In May, Taliban fighters in northwest Afghanistan attackedsecurity posts that were providing protection for the ancient Minaret of Jam. The 12th-century minaret, known for its intricate brick construction and ancient Arabic calligraphy, is one of only two sites in Afghanistan that hold UNESCO World Heritage status. The attackers killed 18 members of the government security
The Independent (UK): Ancient Buddhist clay heads and other precious artefacts looted from Iraq and Afghanistan and illegally exported to the UK will soon be returned to their country of origin. The British Museum is working with the UK Border Force and other agencies to help to return the items seized during recent conflicts. Click here to read more (external link).
The Washington Post: Fabio Colombo picked up a clay-colored fragment, one of hundreds arrayed on tables in a room in Afghanistan’s National Museum. He applied several adhesive drops and pressed it carefully to a larger fragment. A figure was beginning to take shape — a Buddha sculpted in ancient times, one of an estimated 2,500 such objects
Tolo News: Sahraa Karimi, filmmaker, and director, who was last month appointed as the first female General Director of Afghan Film, the country’s state-run film production company, through a merit-based process conducted at the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission says that she is committed to giving a new life to the production company. Click
بزرگترین برج قلعه غزنین چگونه و چرا فروریخت؟ تصاویر ویدیویی اختصاصی بیبیسی از لحظه فروافتادن کلانترین برج “قلعت” غزنی.. غزنه که زمانی “عروس شهرها” به آن میگفتند، امروز آثار تاریخی این شهر در وضعیت تأسفباری قرار دارند.. pic.twitter.com/MPPlTqNH2i — BBC Dari (@bbcafghanistan) June 13, 2019 By Frud Bezhan & Habib Taseer Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
A tower in the ancient Ghaznain Fort in Ghazni’s old city collapsed on Tuesday. The fort had 32 towers, most of which have collapsed over the past few years due to “inattention” by relevant government departments. pic.twitter.com/fvo9ntb3Vo — TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) June 11, 2019 BBC News: An ancient tower in the Afghan city of Ghazni has collapsed,
By Frud Bezhan Qadir Ghafori Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty June 1, 2019 FEROZ KOH, Afghanistan — Centuries of neglect and frequent floods are threatening the Minaret of Jam, one of Afghanistan’s archaeological treasures. Last week, the 800-year-old structure in the remote, western province of Ghor was left on the verge of collapse after a flood
Tolo News: The recent floods have destroyed the protection walls around Minaret of Jam in Ghor province and have faced the endangered monument with the possibility of collapse. The minaret is located in Ghor, around 200 kilometers east of Herat, at the confluence of the Hari Rud and Jam Rud rivers. The Minaret of Jam’s isolated
The Media Line: The Afghan government has appointed the first female director-general for its state-run film production company, Afghan Film Organization (AFO). Sahraa Karimi, 36, is a prominent filmmaker in her own right. She has more than 10 years of experience in the field and has directed more than 30 films. She is the only woman from