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Located 500 km from the capital, the Minaret of Jam, a building 65 meters high is the second largest religious monument of this kind in the world. Built at the intersection of two rivers (the Hari-rud and the Jam-rud) 1900 metres above sea level, this minaret, dated 1194, was built by Sultan Ghiyath al-Din Mohammed Ibn Saturday in the province of Ghur (central-west). Made from brick, this monument represents the history of the Ghurid dynasty and the period of medieval Islam. After joining in 2002 the UNESCO World Heritage Site, scientific excavations are underway. But for years, it was plagued by looting.

The Buddhas of Bamiyan
The Buddhas of Bamiyan (180 km west of Kabul), carved into the mountain, are no longer exist. This cultural legacy has not withstood the onslaught of Taliban, in which large explosives, have destroyed those they described as “pagan deities.” With the height of 57 and 40 metres, the two Buddhas had been carved, respectively, at third and fifth centuries. On 18 March 2001, part of Afghan heritage went up in smoke.

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