Minaret at Jam, Afghanistan

In a remote valley surrounded by barren mountains The Minaret at Jam stands alone. The Hari Rud river flows rapidly by the lonely tower, which was once surrounded by a great mosque at Firuz Koh. Built in the 12th century, it is the only well-preserved monument from the Ghorid period. It measures 65 meters (213 feet) tall and is accessible through a set of double sprial stairs that run from the octagonal base to the circular top. The tower is decorated with kufic calligraphy etched in stucco and accented with turquoise ceremics. Along the shaft are several balconies and at the top is a large lantern.

This was heavily damaged during the Soviet incursion and the Afghan civil war. It was probably not affected by the American campaign in late 2001.

This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in western Afghanistan. It is located in the Shahrak District, Ghowr Province, by the Hari Rud river. The 65 metre high minaret, surrounded by mountains that reach up to 2400 meters, is built entirely of baked-bricks. It is famous for its intricate brick, stucco and glazed tile decoration, which consists of alternating bands of kufic and nashki calligraphy, geometric patterns, and verses from the Qur'an (the surat Maryam, relating to Mary, the mother of Jesus).

About centuries, the Minaret was forgotten about by the outside world, until it was re-discovered in 1886, by Holdich, working for the Afghan Boundary Commission. It did not come to world attention, however, until 1957 through the work of the French archaeologists André Maricq and Wiet. Herberg conducted limited surveys around the site in the 1970s, before the Soviet invasion of 1979 once again cut it off for the outside world.

The archaeological site of this minaret was successfully nominated as Afghanistan's first World Heritage site in 2002. It was also inscribed in UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites in Danger, due to the precarious state of preservation of the minaret, and results of looting at the site.

The Decorated exterior of the Minaret of Jam, August 2005. The circular minaret rests on an octagonal base; it had 2 wooden balconies and was topped by a lantern. It is thought to have been a direct inspiration for the Qutub Minar in Delhi, which was also built by the Ghurids. After the Qutub Minar, the Minaret of Jam is the second-tallest brick minaret in the world.

The Minaret which belongs to a group of around 60 minarets and towers built between the 11th and the 13th centuries in Central Asia, Iran and Afghanistan, eg. the tower at Ghazni. The minarets are thought to have been built as symbols of Islam's victory, while other towers were simply landmarks or watchtowers.

The minaret of Jam is currently in danger by erosion, water infiltration and floods, due to its proximity to the Hari Rud and Jam Rud rivers. Another threat are the earthquakes which happen frequently in the region. Looters and illegal excavations have also damaged the archaeological site surrounding the minaret. The tower has started to lean, but stabilisation work is in progress to halt this danger.