TOURIST ATTRACTIONS: WHAT TO VISIT IN AFGHANISTAN AFGHANISTAN

The Minaret of Jam, 65 meters high, is an astonishing structure dating from the twelfth century. Covered by an elaborate brick structure with an enrollment of blue tiles at the top, is noteworthy for the quality of its architecture and decoration, representing the culmination of the architectural and artistic tradition in this region of Afghanistan. Its beauty is accentuated by its position in a dramatic, deep river valley between high mountains in the heart of the province of Ghur.

The cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamiyan Valley represent the artistic and religious developments which from the 1st to the 13th centuries characterized ancient Bakhtria, integrating various cultural influences into the Gandhara school of Buddhist art. The area contains numerous Buddhist monasteries and shrines, as well as fortified buildings from the Islamic period. The site is also testimony to the tragic destruction by the Taliban of the two standing Buddha statues, which shook the world in March 2001.