February 6, 2002 atimes.com
Central Asia/Russia
Afghanistan's rich cultural heritage in ruins
By Nadeem Iqbal
ISLAMABAD - Many outsiders probably see only rubble and desolation in Afghanistan, the last known lair of fugitive Osama bin Laden. But archeologists and other experts say the war-devastated country has much to offer in terms of because of its unique past and role in world history.
Indeed, that is why the reconstruction and preservation of Afghan heritage is the focus of "International Year of Cultural Heritage - 2002", launched by Koichiro Matsuura, director general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) last month here in Islamabad. Afghanistan, after all, was once fought over by the some of the greatest names in the history of mankind, among them Alexander the Great. The northwestern city of Herat was made the capital of the Mongol conqueror Tamerlane in the late 14th century, and subsequently became a center of Persian art and learning.
UNESCO's Pakistan representative, Ingeborg Breines, said that although it is hard to include culture in the Afghan reconstruction efforts at this stage, the UN agency is still working to integrate the restoration and preservation of the cultural heritage into the country's policies and plans. "The immediate priority is the formation of a cultural policy by the Afghan government, revival of Kabul museum and the reconstruction of Islamic cultural heritage in Herat city," she said. "As in [other] post-conflict countries, it is extremely important that the people in the new rebuilding operation be rallied at something that could give them national identity - and that they care not only for the Islamic but also pre-Islamic culture." | |
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