The Taliban has announced the start of reconstruction of the memorial to Alisher Navoi in Mazar-i-Sharif, following official concerns expressed by Uzbekistan over the statue’s demolition. The governor of Balkh province stated that work began on Thursday, with a project budget of 1.5 million Afghanis (approximately $17,000), reports Afintl.af.
The new memorial complex will include the restoration of the statue, landscaping, green spaces, a recreation area, a library, and informational panels about the life and work of the great 15th-century poet and thinker.
The decision to rebuild follows diplomatic talks between Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry and Taliban representatives. Officials in Tashkent said Taliban leaders expressed regret over the destruction, calling the previous site “undignified” for honoring Navoi. They pledged to create a larger and more worthy complex, emphasizing that Navoi’s legacy is important for both Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.
Abdul Rahman Khemmat, the Taliban-appointed mayor of Mazar-i-Sharif, said the project will be completed within a month. Uzbek diplomats and regional Taliban representatives attended the announcement ceremony.
The demolition of the statue, which had stood in the city for about 17 years, sparked widespread public outcry. Rahila Dostum, daughter of Uzbek leader Abdul Rashid Dostum, called the act a “symbol of the Taliban’s hostility toward cultural heritage.” Civil society groups representing Afghanistan’s Turkic community condemned the move as part of an “anti-cultural and identity-erasing policy.”
This is the second such incident: in 2022, the Taliban also demolished a statue of Navoi in Mazar-i-Sharif, after which they made similar promises to rebuild it.
Alisher Navoi, a renowned poet, scholar, and statesman of the Timurid era, is considered a founder of Chagatai literature and remains a key cultural figure across Central Asia.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
August 21, 2025