Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam

Deep in a remote valley of Ghur province, where rivers meet between walls of mountain, a lone brick tower rises 65 metres from the valley floor. The Minaret of Jam, raised in the 12th century under the Ghurid dynasty, carries bands of intricate brickwork and a blue-tiled inscription near its summit — the culminating achievement of the region's architectural tradition. It became Afghanistan's first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002.