Afghan Minaret Restoration Marks 'Pragmatic' Taliban Approach To Cultural Heritage, Experts Say

Restoration work under way on Afghanistan's most famous minaret is the latest indication that the country's Taliban rulers are taking a calculated approach to cultural heritage, experts say. Images of work to safeguard the UNESCO-listed Minaret of Jam emerged in mid-September when a Taliban official visited the 12th-century monument, located in an isolated valley of Afghanistan’s Ghor Province, to check on rehabilitation efforts that reportedly began in July. A spokesperson linked to the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, which is working on the landmark in cooperation with several other organizations, told RFE/RL that the project includes “emergency intervention to consolidate a critical section of the inner masonry column at the base of the minaret.” The isolated brick structure was repeatedly damaged by flooding and had long been in danger of collapse.