In Afghanistan, the AKDN has started work on renovation of an ancient minaret in the city of Herat. AKDN officials said they collected samples from the 5th minaret of Herat and will send it to Italy for research, adding that a global group of archaeologists are working on it to strengthen this minaret based on standard norms. The minaret is one of the five remaining minarets of the former Musallah complex, each of them 55 metres tall. The complex initially had 20 minarets built by Queen Gawhar Shad in 1417.