7 new historical sites registered in Sar-i-Pul

SAR-I-PUL (Pajhwok): Seven new historical sites have been identified and registered with the Ministry of Information and Culture in northern Sar-i-Pul province, local officials said on Monday.

Abdul Malik Baloch, provincial information and culture director, said that last month a team of archaeologists from the Ministry of Information and Culture arrived in Sar-i-Pul province and succeeded in identifying three new ancient sites.

He added the ancient sites belonged to Kushan period. The sites include Qala Qamuk in provincial capital Sar-i-Pul city, Bala Hesar in Sancharak district and Qala Quhqah in Gosfandi district.

He said another historical site housing a mosque called Hazrat Khizr mosque and caves around it belonging to the early period of Islam was also identified and registered in the Sang Tudeh area.

“Three tourist areas --- Dara Angusht Shah in Sancharak district, Dara Paleh in Gosfandi district and Chashma Ikzak in Sar-i-Pul city have been identified and registered by the Ministry of Information and Culture,” he said.

There are more than 200 historical sites in Sari Pul province and of them Eidgah Mosque, shrine of Imam Kalan in the provincial capital and shrine of Khawaja Khatib in Sayyad district were repaired in the previous government.

However, culturists say most of the historical sites in Sari Pul province are on the verge of collapse and could completely destroy if no action is taken to preserve and restore them.

kk/ma