The Minaret of Djam by Freya Stark

The Minaret of Djam, an Excursion in Afghanistan (ISBN 9781848853133) is another typical book by Freya Stark, written once again in the style that is so much her own with vivid depictions – rather paintings – of the scenery around her. With a minimum of words, she manages to draw a full-scale picture. This time she takes on a trip through the very heart of Afghanistan in search of the Minaret of Djam, roughly halfway between Kabul and Herat. It seems as if she travelled in a time beyond time, most probably before the Soviet invasion of 1979.

She writes most pleasantly, taking the reader by the hand to uncover the secrets of the hidden landscapes and remote populations. She was quite an adventurous lady whom I admire greatly, especially when you realize that she travelled in times when roads were still very primitive and when definitively no lady would venture on her own into those remote corners of the world. However, before the Soviet invasion, the British were still seen as frequent travellers over there. Strangely enough, Afghanistan was still a pleasant place to be.

In any case, this is an adventure by itself, for few people have ever seen this minaret, and still lesser have crossed the area. She manages to make it through the summer heat in a Land Rover that serves as sleeping quarters under most primitive conditions. Still, she always remains optimistic and blessed with that British phlegm that makes it all bearable and possible. An admirable woman on a worthy journey, to say the least.

But in the end, it is all about the Minaret of Djam, the second tallest brick minaret in the world. Set in the remoteness of the Afghan slopes between the two highest peaks of the Safed Kuh, 3525 and 3416 meters. The minaret stands alone dressed in brick color against the perfect blue sky, which I now can imagine in the light of my travels through Uzbekistan, where similar intricate stone patterns have also been used. It belongs to the fertile years of Islamic art from the 11th and 12th centuries and must be quite a sight. I’m surprised that she didn’t climb the one hundred and eighty steps of the double staircase to the top. I would – I think. She mentions a nearby inscription by Sultan Ghiyath al-Dunya, the fifth sultan of the Ghurid dynasty, who ruled from 1163 till 1203, and that is all we know of its history.

After finishing this most enjoyable and exciting book, I needed to investigate this Ghurid Dynasty further, as it is otherwise totally unknown to me. It turns out that it was very short-lived, existing for just over sixty years, although they had ruled an empire stretching from eastern Persia all the way to northern India. They even conquered Bamyan and Balkh as well as territories beyond the Oxus River. Their capital city was Firuzbuh, i.e., where this Minaret is still standing. I find it exciting to learn that they lost territories to the Khwarizm, which I heard for the first time on my recent trip to Uzbekistan! It was once again Genghis Khan who finally destroyed the cities and probably killed the entire population. Amazingly the Minaret of Djam has survived!

[picture from the UNESCO site]

To make this story complete, I would encourage everybody to read the article “Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam,” in which UNESCO puts the minaret on the list of World Heritage in Danger.