Location
What to See
Judging by the name of the place, the Museum of Islamic Art in Ghazni – Afghanistan houses collections of Islamic art which dated way back to the days of Masud III who reigned in the area from 1099 to 1114. He was the son of Mahmud of Ghazna. Ancient items and relics from the palace of Masud III are housed and kept safe within the museum.
Another interesting fact about this museum is that the building which is used to house the entire establishment was actually the Mausoleum of Abd al-Razzaq. In fact, the building itself that houses all the collections found here is a fine example of the unique architectural splendor of ancient times.
The pieces of Islamic art and the unique architecture that visitors will see here is the result of a decade long excavation work done in the regions round about in the said province. There are also a few items that date back from pre-Islamic times such as artifacts from an ancient Buddhist excavation site.
History
The Museum of Islamic Art in Ghazni – Afghanistan first opened its galleries to the public way back in 1966. Back then, it was under the administration of the Italian Archaeological Mission. It was quite unfortunate that plans for further improvement were put into a halt due to political turmoil and violence erupted in Ghazni. Several years of war followed and it was reported that the prized collections housed in this museum were damaged. Nevertheless, the remaining items in the said collections are still in good condition.
The OIC/ISESCO has already announced their appointment of the entire region including the city of Ghazni as the center of Islamic civilization by the year 2013. This presents itself as an interesting opportunity for its people and tourists who would want to visit the place. However, it is also a huge challenge for the local residents here who face the turmoil of security issues and other modern-day roadblocks to this endeavor.
Cost
As of the moment, there is no entry fee to be paid. The only cost to be paid by visitors is the fare they would have to pay to get to the said site.
Other Info
Other than the Museum of Islamic Art in Ghazni – Afghanistan, there are also other interesting places to visit in the said area. One of the other places of interest is the Sultan Masood Palace which was constructed in AD 112.
