Afghanistan

Minaret of Jam

WHS Score 3.91 Votes 6 Average 4.75

The Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam comprise a masterwork of Islamic architecture and decoration.

The well-preserved minaret and its surrounding remains are the products of the Ghurid civilization, which in the 12th and 13th centuries controlled not only Afghanistan but also parts of eastern Iran, Northern India and parts of Pakistan. The 65-metre-high minaret is built entirely of baked bricks, with intricate brick, stucco and glazed tile decorations such as alternating bands of calligraphy, geometric patterns, and verses from the Qur'an.

Community Perspective: this site has been rarely visited in the past. Since the most recent takeover by the Taliban in 2021, tourists have been reaching it again. Wojciech was the first to capture a visit in a review.

>

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam (ID: 211)
Country
Afghanistan
Status
Inscribed 2002 Site history
History of Minaret of Jam
WHS Type
Cultural
Criteria
  • ii
  • iii
  • iv
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
News Article
  • May 30, 2019 thedefensepost.com — Taliban attack Afghanistan world heritage site, killing security forces
  • May 29, 2019 thehindu.com — Afghan floods put famous minaret at risk of collapse

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Religious structure: Islamic
Travel Information
One thousand visitors or fewer
One thousand visitors or fewer
DD : “There are no statistics of visitors available. There …
Recent Connections
View all (18) .
Connections of Minaret of Jam
History
Architecture
Damaged
World Heritage Process
Religion and Belief
  • Jewish religion and culture
    Tombstones written in Hebrew, probably from a nearby Jewish cemetery, which indicate the presence of a sizable Jewish community
Constructions
Timeline
Visiting conditions
News
thedefensepost.com 05/30/2019
Taliban attack Afghanistan world h…
thehindu.com 05/29/2019
Afghan floods put famous minaret a…
Recent Visitors
Reserved for members.

Community Reviews

Show full reviews
First published: 29/12/24.

Wojciech Fedoruk

Minaret Of Jam

Minaret of Jam (Inscribed)

Minaret of Jam by Wojciech Fedoruk

The Minaret of Jam is an almost legendary place. For at least 20 years, from 2001 to 2021 (though actually since the outbreak of the Afghan war in 1978), it was completely inaccessible to visitors. During the US intervention, the mountains around it were a Taliban hotbed and were not controlled by the Afghan government or US military. After the Taliban took power, it is open again, which I took advantage of by visiting this place in September 2024 with a group of seven like-minded travelers from Poland (including three women).

The minaret is very difficult to access. You can get to it from May to October via terrible roads. The road from Herat takes 13 hours (including breaks), the road to Bamyan takes up to 13.5 hours. And these are only 200 and 300 kilometers, respectively. Despite this, it is quite popular - our fixer announced that he has run his 25th group here in three years. But it is still a challenge, depending on the weather. In May 2024, a huge flood destroyed some of the access roads and bridges, and to get to the minaret it was necessary to cross the river on a rope. The road looks a bit better now, the bridge has been built in a different place... until the next spring flood?

The last dozen or so kilometers to the minaret is an extremely difficult road in the high mountains. Finally, IT emerged from behind the rock - an absolutely extraordinary …

Keep reading 0 comments