Exhibition of photographs: Safeguarding of the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan
Open to the public as from 27 April 2007
With financial assistance from the Direzione Generale per la Cooperazione Italiana allo Sviluppo of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Fondazione per l'Arte della Compagnia di San Paolo.
The Minaret of Jam, 65m high, is a gracious slender tower dating back to the twelfth century. Covered by a complex brick decoration and bearing a blue tile inscription at the top, it is outstanding on account of the quality of its architecture and its decorative motifs, which reflect the heights attained by this region's artistic tradition. Its impact is reinforced by a spectacular setting: a deep valley between impressively high mountains in the heart of Ghor Province. The exhibition, showing conservation work done in the last 47 years to protect the Minaret of Jam, listed as an "endangered" site on the World Heritage List, consists of historical and recent photographs obtained from the archives of the Italian architect, Andrea Bruno, who worked on the site for all these years. The exhibition "Safeguarding of the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan" will then be moved to the "Museo di Antichità" in Turin, to form part of the exhibition "Afghanistan, I tesori ritrovati" (Summer 2007).
Body responsible: UNESCO, World Heritage Centre
Information: Ms Sarah Finke,Tel.:01.45.68.11.62; Ms Sabrina Zannier, Tel. :01.45.68.18.21
UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, Ramp Room X