Residents of Ghazni city are calling for the families living inside the historic Bala Hissar Fortress to be relocated. They say that the families’ presence inside the fortress, along with damage from rain and snow and a lack of effective maintenance, has accelerated the destruction of this historic structure. They stress that to prevent further damage to the fortress, land and the necessary facilities must be provided to relocate the families living there.
Meanwhile, families living in the Bala Hissar Fortress say they cannot leave their homes because of economic hardship, and that the Taliban’s Department of Information and Culture does not allow them to repair these houses. According to them, their damaged homes have not only harmed parts of the fortress but also put the lives of their family members at risk. These families are asking for land to be provided so they can move elsewhere, or for permission to repair their homes.
Zarmina, a resident of Ghazni city, complains about the Taliban’s and the responsible institutions’ neglect of the protection of the historic Bala Hissar Fortress. She says that every year, after rain and snow, parts of the fortress are damaged and collapse, yet no effective action is taken to protect this historic structure. According to her, the Bala Hissar Fortress is part of Ghazni’s historical and cultural identity, and its destruction means the loss of a part of the city’s history.
Zarmina says: “Historic sites are part of our culture and identity and must not be destroyed. If these sites disappear, our history disappears with them. The Bala Hissar Fortress has faced serious erosion for years. Its walls and towers have been badly damaged, and parts of them have collapsed. Sometimes only minor repairs are carried out, and money is wasted on them, whereas if the fortress were fundamentally rebuilt, further destruction could be prevented. There are also residential houses inside the fortress, many of which are dilapidated and on the verge of collapse.”
Hanzala, another resident of Ghazni city, says that the families’ residence inside the fortress and the Taliban’s neglect of its protection have intensified the destruction of this historic structure. He adds that, because of the lack of oversight and accountability, some residents treat parts of the fortress arbitrarily, without regard for its historical value. In his view, the destruction will continue until the families living in the fortress are relocated, and an effective plan to protect it is undertaken.
The young man says: “Every year a part of the Bala Hissar Fortress collapses, and the work done to rebuild it is mostly superficial. The fortress where Mahmud of Ghazni and earlier kings ruled has now turned into ruins. This structure is part of our historical identity and must be protected. Until the residential houses are moved out of the fortress and an effective plan to protect it is undertaken, this historic structure will suffer further damage. By relocating the families and creating the conditions to attract tourists, the income from tourism could be used to rebuild and maintain the fortress.”
Kitabkhan Faizi, a cultural expert, also stresses the need to relocate the families living in the Bala Hissar Fortress and to provide suitable accommodation for them. He says the fortress is one of Ghazni’s important historical monuments and dates back to the pre-Islamic era, but that it was damaged in various historical periods as a result of invasions.
Mr. Faizi says: “The Bala Hissar Fortress of Ghazni is one of the important historical monuments, dating back to the pre-Islamic era, but it was also damaged in various historical periods as a result of invasions. The residential houses inside this compound have led to its growing destruction, and tourists cannot visit this historic site properly. I believe alternatives should be provided for the owners of these houses, and land and the necessary funds for their relocation should be set aside so that further destruction of this historic structure can be prevented.”
Meanwhile, families living in the Bala Hissar Fortress say that the houses and drainage channels in the compound have damaged parts of the historic structure, but that they cannot leave their homes because of economic hardship. These families add that the Taliban’s Department of Information and Culture does not allow them to repair their homes either, and they are asking the authorities to find a solution, either by relocating them or by allowing them to repair their houses.
Noor Ul Ain, a resident of the Bala Hissar Fortress in Ghazni, says his family cannot afford to leave the house because of economic hardship and, on the other hand, has not received permission to rebuild it. According to him, continuing to live in a damaged house has put his family members at risk.
The young man says: “Our family has lived here since the time of my father and grandfather. The roof of my house is damaged, and every time it rains, I am afraid it will collapse. I gather my children in a corner so they will not be hurt. We can neither afford to leave the house nor are we allowed to rebuild it. If the aim is to protect the Bala Hissar Fortress, then arrangements must be made to relocate the resident families, or they must be allowed to repair their own homes. The economic situation of the people here is difficult. In one compound, five or six brothers live with their families, and sometimes two or three families live in a single house. We are forced to stay here because of poverty.”
The historic “Ghaznin” Fortress in the old city of Ghazni is a structure more than a thousand years old, built on top of a high hill within a compound covering 80 hectares in the heart of this historic city. This ancient fortress, regarded as one of the country’s most important cultural heritage sites, has 34 towers and four gates. In certain periods of history, all of Ghazni’s residents lived inside this fortress, and at times it served as the seat of rule of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni.
In 2013, the province of Ghazni was named the “Cultural Capital of the Islamic World” by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). However, more than a decade later, the rebuilding of the historic fortress and the old city of this province remains unfinished and in limbo.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
قلعه تاریخی غزنی در حال ویرانی؛ خانوادهها نه توان رفتن دارند، نه اجازه ترمیم
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