PARUN (SW): Lying on the country’s north eastern edge, Nuristan is one of Afghanistan’s most gifted provinces in terms of natural beauty the ragging conflict however, has tarnished not just its forests but its cultural heritage as well.
Kala Gosh is one such heritage site in the middle of lush green mountains that used to serve as royal hangout place for years. Seeing its present state one can hardly believe that it used to host the royal families and their guests on their picnic trips.
Among the Afghan kings, Amir Habibullah Khan (June 3, 1872 – February 20, 1919) frequented the Kala Gosh in Nuristan the most. He subsequently got assassinated at the very point during a hunting trip.
Later, Afghan emperors till the reign of King Mohammad Zahir Shah (15, 1914 – July 23, 2007) who ruled Afghanistan from 8 November 1933 till 17 July 1973 kept paying visits to Kala Gosh for recreational purposes.
Ghulam Sakhi, 85-years old native man told SW that the locals still admire Amir Habibullah Khan for his efforts to introduce Islam to this remote part of the country. This former parliamentarian from Nuristan added that former Afghan King used to mingle with the locals who would in return pray for the prosperity of Afghanistan and long life for the emperor.
“The downfall of Kala Gosh started with the revolution (communist coup against Dawood Khan in 1978) and after that the civil war then the Taliban ruled resulted in ultimate destruction”, Sakhi said.
Very little efforts, he said could help revive this heritage site and make it serve as an attractive tourist destination for local and foreign visitors.
Kala Gosh is not the only heritage site facing destruction. The pre-Islamic era wine bars and worship places here are facing similar situation. The government alone is not to be blamed as many locals have encroached heritage sites and have erected commercial and residential sites on them.
Gul Zaman Nuristani, Provincial Information and Culture department officer admits that negligence on the part of the state.
“Lack of security and qualified staff combined with the remote location of the province has led to the devastation of heritage sites in Nuristan”, he said.
People have been misled, he said efforts about preserving the heritage sites have been pronounced as un-Islamic.
Nuristani said the Ministry for Information and Culture has promised that following Bamyan, practical measures would be taken to preserve the heritagesites in Nuristan.
ENDS
