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KABUL: The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in a letter to President Ghani has vowed to help the Afghan government in the restoration of an ancient minaret in the city of Herat, presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Wednesday.
Sediqqi said that President Ghani last week instructed relevant government institutions to restore the minaret.
Sediqqi said the government has done the initial reviews for the restoration and protection of the minaret.
Late last months, local officials and residents Herat said that an ancient minaret in the city of Herat is on the verge of destruction as less attention has been paid to its maintenance.
The minaret is one of the five remaining minarets of the former Musallah complex, each of them 55 meters tall. The complex initially had 20 minarets built by Queen Gawhar Shad in 1417.
The minaret, which is on the verge of destruction, is located near a wedding hall and an ancient mosque. Officials said it will destroy the two places if it falls.
The complex was fully intact and magnificent until 1885 when it was destroyed by the British in a conflict with Russia. Nine towers were spared from the destruction of 1885, but neglect and earthquakes claimed four more towers.
