UNESCO, Aga Khan Foundation Expand Efforts to Protect Afghanistan’s Jam Minaret

UNESCO and Aga Khan Cultural Services are expanding efforts to preserve Afghanistan’s 12th-century Minaret of Jam through structural monitoring, flood-risk reduction and improved access for emergency response teams. The initiative, supported by the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas (ALIPH), includes regular assessments of data collected by monitoring equipment installed at the monument. The information helps specialists track structural changes, assess potential risks and plan measures to protect the minaret over the long term. The Minaret of Jam stands at the confluence of the Hari Rud and Jam Rud rivers in Ghor Province. Dating to the 12th century, it is one of Afghanistan’s most significant historical landmarks and an important example of Islamic architecture.