The brickwork
Geometric patterns.
AhmadElhan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · AhmadElhan — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gadmer Frédéric — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gadmer Frédéric — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gadmer Frédéric — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Ghazni Minarets are two richly decorated 12th-century towers on an open plain north-east of Ghazni city in central Afghanistan, about 600 metres apart. They are Ghazni's best-known monuments and among the last remains of the Ghaznavid Empire, whose capital was Ghazni. The minarets bear the names of the sultans who built them, Mas'ud III and Bahram Shah. Each stood 44 metres tall in the 19th century, until their upper halves fell in an earthquake in 1902. Today the Bahram Shah minaret is 20 metres tall and the Mas'ud III minaret 21 metres. The ruins of Mas'ud III's palace lie near his minaret. The minarets are built on a star-shaped plan with sharp ribs, in caramel-coloured baked brick, covered in panels of brick and terracotta with geometric patterns and fine inscriptions. They stand alone on a dry plain, looking from afar like watchtowers. Some photos here are about a century old. Central Ghazni is about 2 km away in a straight line, and Kabul about 131 km. The minarets are poorly protected, so do not climb them. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Afghanistan, and access may not be possible, so check official guidance before making any plans.
Geometric patterns.
Alone on the plain.
Fine panels.
Plain north-east of Ghazni city, Afghanistan
Their upper halves fell in an earthquake in 1902.
Yes, they are about 600 metres apart on the same plain.