The Leaning Tower of Afghanistan

It must be frustrating to be an archaeologist. It seems as though most of the wars the United States has been involved in lately are where some of the best stuff to study is. Take the Minaret of Jam, for example. It is located in the ancient capitol of Afghanistan, Firuzkuh which was sacked by the son of Gengis Kahn.

Built in 1190, it stands 200 feet tall. 

"Amazingly, this imposing structure was standing forgotten for centuries... until rediscovered in 1886 by Sir Thomas Holdich; then forgotten again and rediscovered in 1957. Then the Soviet invasion in 1979 again prohibited access to the area, and since then only a handful of people from outside of Afghanistan have seen the minaret."

"Dan Cruickshank, who visited the place, writes about the carvings: "This chapter, called Maryam, tells of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, both venerated in Islam, and of prophets such as Abraham and Isaac. It's a text that emphasizes what Judaism, Christianity and Islam have in common, rather than their differences."


  For more on the minaret of Jam and the lost city of the Turquoise Mountain, see Dark Roasted Blend and TYWKIWDBI






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