Count of Afghanistan's Historical Monuments May Reach 20,000, Claims Taliban

The Taliban's Ministry of Information and Culture announced that the number of historical monuments in Afghanistan will increase to 15,000-20,000 if they are registered and carefully examined.

Atiqullah Azizi, Taliban's deputy minister of information and culture, told Bakhtar news agency that currently five thousand historical works had been registered in Afghanistan.

Azizi said that Herat, Balkh, Bamiyan, Ghazni, Kabul and Kandahar have the most historical monuments.

While the Taliban is talking about the existence of new historical monuments in Afghanistan, organisations dedicated to preserving cultural heritage have warned that hundreds of historical sites and monuments are at risk of destruction in Afghanistan.

The destruction and collapse of Afghanistan's historical sites and monuments is one of the concerns of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

Among others, Jam Minaret in Ghor Province, one of the oldest historical monuments of Afghanistan, which has been registered by UNESCO, is in an alarming condition and faces the risk of collapse.