The Badghis earthquake has tilted the Jam Minaret, one of Afghanistan's greatest architectural and archeological treasures in Ghor, to a large extent. A number of the old rubble of this historic minaret collapsed yesterday. "The bottom of the minaret is damp and water has seeped in."

"If no action is taken to repair the damage caused by the earthquake, the minaret may fall," the head of the Taliban's Information and Culture Department warned.

Last month, a former British official warned that the Minaret of Jam was in danger of collapsing due to flood damage and negligence.

Rory Stewart, the former British Under Secretary of State for International Development, said the demolition of the minaret would be a devastating tragedy.

The minaret of Jam, with a height of 64 meters and 800 years old, is considered to be the oldest brick minaret in the world and one of the unique masterpieces of Ghorian civilization. The minaret was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2002. But according to some cultural heritage advocates, little has been done to restore the building.

In recent years, due to carelessness and lack of proper care of the minaret of the cup, it has suffered a lot of damage.

Earlier, due to natural disasters, snow and rain, part of the tiles had collapsed. In spring and winter, and during the seasonal floods, the minaret is most threatened.