GHAZNI (BNA): The Ministry of Information and Culture has officially reopened the historic Babaji Mosque in Ghazni, following a comprehensive 14-month restoration project.
Atiqullah Azizi, Deputy Minister for Art and Culture, inaugurated the mosque on Sunday, highlighting its deep historical significance. According to Azizi, the mosque dates back to the caliphate of Uthman ibn Affan, the third Caliph of Islam, and was originally constructed as a two-story building.
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The mosque, which had been at serious risk of collapse, was carefully restored with the support of the Aga Khan Cultural Foundation. The preservation work, costing $150,000, was entirely funded by the foundation and focused on maintaining both the structural integrity and the original architectural features of the monument.
Engineer Fazl Karim Ahmadi, who worked on the project, explained that the restoration aimed at strengthening the mosque’s foundation while ensuring authenticity in its design.
Meanwhile, Ghazni’s provincial director of information and culture, Hameedullah Nisar, expressed gratitude to the Aga Khan Foundation for its continued role in safeguarding cultural heritage. He emphasized the importance of further cooperation, noting that 32 heritage sites in the province had been poorly reconstructed under the previous government in 2013, resulting in wasted resources.
The reopening of the Babaji Mosque stands as a milestone in Afghanistan’s efforts to protect and revive its Islamic heritage.
