Hakim Naser Khosrow Balkhi’s tomb repair work starts

FAIZABAD (Pajhwok): Repair works at the ‘Hakim Naser Khosrow Balkhi’s’ tomb has been kicked off in northeastern Badakhshan province, officials said on Saturday.

During his trip to Yumgan district, provincial information and culture director Engineer Zabihullah Amiri said he visited the district to supervise the repair and reconstruction works at Balkhi’s tomb.

Hakim Naser Khosrow Balkhi was a well-known poet and Sufi who lived in the second Gregorian century and he was very famous for his knowledge about astronomy.

The tomb of Hakim was built 900 years ago and it sustained damages due to the wars and use of heavy weapons during the past two decades. The tomb seriously needed reconstruction, Amiri said.

Amiri added: “Luckily the Ministry of Information and Culture (MoIC) has responded positively to our proposal about reconstruction of the tomb and its reconstruction works will be completed in two months.”

He urged the contractor to consider classic method and materials used 900 years ago in its repairing and reconstructing process.

Sayed Ghiyasuddin, one of the residents of Hazarat Sayed village of Yumgan district, expressed his pleasure about the repairing works of the tomb and said: “The tomb attracts hundreds of domestic and foreign tourists annually.”

But due to negligence of the authorities, the ancient tomb has been on the verge of collapse. After its repair works started, local residents hoped other historical monuments would also be repaired.

However, the bomb was once repaired nearly two decades ago during the previous government, but because of the wars in the area, some parts of the tomb were damaged again.

Local residents called on information and culture department officials to hire local people for guarding and maintenance of  historical monuments so the cultural identity is not damaged.

aw/ma