Sunday, April 14, 2013
Kabul (BNA) President Hamid Karzai in his message on the occasion of festival to mark Ghazni as the capital of world Islamic culture termed the event as a matter of pride for the people of Afghanistan.
In the message, the president noted that Ghazni in fourth and fifth century HQ was a city with hustle and bustle with having poets, scholar and Sufis.
Great poets, scholars, literates and cultural figures had emerged in Ghazni and left behind valuable works.
Due to its high places in the field of knowledge and culture and its contribution in this regard.
Ghazni has been named as the cultural capital of Islam, the president said in his message, adding we are proud of such asset and would continue to introduce it to the coming generations.
The president also thanked the ministry for information and culture, Ghazni’s local administration, ISECO and all those played a role in holding Ghazni festival.
Besides welcoming the guests in the festival, the president also wished success for the organizers of the historic event.
 

Sunday April 14, 2013
Kabul (BNA) Minister of Information and Culture of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Dr. Sayed Makhdoom Raheen and Minister of Culture and Guidance of the Islamic Republic of Iran Dr. Mohammad Hussaini met in Kabul the other day and discussed on cultural cooperation between the two countries.
BNA reports that Dr. Raheen and Dr. Hussaini who is visiting Afghanistan, during their meetings evaluated the methods of these cooperation.
According to another report while he was accompanying by deputy minister for cultural affairs Musadiq Khalili, General Director of BNA and a number of other related in charges of the ministry of information and culture, minister of culture and guidance of Iran visited different parts of national museum.
 

Sunday, April 14, 2013
Kabul (BNA) Afghanistan in the course of history has been the center of many renowned and ancient civilizations in the region.
The people of this region hold diverse traditions with braveries and a unique sense of patriotism for their great homeland. The country retains a particular and significant position for its valuable cultural heritages including monuments and relics in the region that still many of remnants preserved by the Ministry of Information and culture in national museum and in provinces of the country as the national asset and cultural heritages of Afghanistan are precious for the Afghan nation.
Moreover every monument, relics and historical sites has its own particular importance that narrates heroism and lifestyle of Afghans through various ages of the history, still many of these cultural heritages require preservation but several others annihilated due to decades of war and conflicts in the country. For protection of Afghan cultural heritages these pride of each Afghan, the Afghan government particularly the ministry of information and culture (MoIC) vigorously strives to rehabilitate monuments, relics and historical sites across the country. For this purpose Islamic, Scientific, Educational and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) announced Ghazni once the capital of Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi as the capital of Islamic culture in 2013. The decision undertaken by ISESCO in 2007 during its sixth annual meeting in the Libya capital Tripoli was a great move in which the delegates from the Islamic countries unanimously adopted a resolution and announced the ancient city of Ghazni as the capital of Islamic culture and civilization for the year 2013.
Obviously, Ghazni has retained a great reputation in terms of culture and civilization in the Islamic world while previously the city was known as the (Bride of the cities) due to vast reserves of Islamic architectures and existence of well-known scholars such as Al-Beroni, Bahlol Dana and Sanayee and the province also given birth to one of the greatest conquerors Sultan Mahmood Ghaznavi who is considered as one of the bravest profile of his era.
Also other valuable and historical sites and monuments located in other provinces of Afghanistan remind as the memories of the great civilizations arise from this particular region of the world. What we consider as vital step towards safeguarding of cultural heritages in the country is the successful implementation of several major projects on repairing of many valuable cultural heritages in recent years by MoIC. Fortunately many of the monuments, relics and historical places rehabilitation have been completed and work on the remained monuments to be concluded very soon. In general, attention to conservation of our cultural heritages is considered as vital step towards the safeguarding the national identity and rich history of Afghanistan. Therefore the relevant officials and organs should endeavor to preserve the national identity of Afghan nation and struggle to preserve the cultural heritages of the country from annihilation.
 

Sunday, April 14, 2013
Kabul (BNA) With reading out of a message of president Karzai, the ceremony marking declaration of the Ghazni city as the capital of world Islamic cultural center, the city of peace and friendship held in Ghazni city yesterday the BNA reports.
Attended by some cabinet ministers, presidential advisors, some members of parliament, governors of some provinces, senior foreign guests and officials of government department, social personalities, the ceremony preceded reading of the president’s message by Prof. Nematullah Shahrani senior presidential advisor.
The message noted that today not only is praiseworthy for the people of Ghazni, but for entire people of Afghanistan and the cultural circles. 
It is a matter of praise that one of the most ancient sites of arts related the Islamic culture is declared as the Islamic world cultural center.
In the fourth and fifth centuries HQ Ghazni was a shining and flourishing city of this region. 
The scientists, literary figures and poets from nearby and distant regions were attracted towards Ghazni and this indeed led to flourishing and enriching of science in the Islamic culture.
Today we pay homage and honor to the names of pioneers of science and culture, their works and thinking and for the assets of this city, undoubtedly, this cultural rich is considered the gains of our country and the Islamic world.
It is necessary that the residents of this area feel honor over the richness of science, cultural and education that they contributed to the world. 
I appreciate the efforts of the Ministry of Information and Culture and the ISESCO over organizing the festival.
The governor of Ghazni addressing the armed Taliban said that what we are celebrating today, is our religious and Islamic culture and also asked the neighboring countries to assist Afghanistan in restoration of peace and this way achieve their Islamic mission towards Afghanistan.
Fazel Hadi Muslimyar Chairman of the senate emphasized on the role of expansion of culture and Islamic civilization, adding that this large gathering is an honor for the entire people of Afghanistan and the Islamic world.
Dr. Sayed Makhdoom Raheen Minister of Information and Culture said that for situating on the course of Silk Route and the highway linking the civilizations, from the past years, Afghanistan was site for cultures and different civilizations. 
One of these civilizations relates to the Ghaznavid kingdom and Ghazni was its capital of this kingdom that achieved a great   part in the building of world culture for this very reason and the great part that this city had in the expansion of regional culture especially in the sub-continent of India and transferring of culture and Hindustani arts to the Middle East and Central Asia, this city has been declared by the ISESCO as the center for world Islamic culture.
He added that declaring of the Ghazni as the center for world Islamic culture has prepared a good opportunity towards strengthening unity and solidarity and expansion of cultural relations among the Muslim Umma.
This can prepare a good ground for displaying the real picture of the cultural richness of this city to the Islamic world and convey the message of peace to the world.
He added that the Ghazni city changed into the main center science and culture of Islam during the Ghaznavid dynasty and the presence of Abdu Raihan Al-Beruni, Ferdausi, Unsuri, Sanayee and some other famed personalities paved the ground for expansion of science and culture to all territories ruled by the Ghaznavids and in the region as well to the Islamic countries.
Dr. Raheen at the end thanked international friends, the US, Poland, Italy, Germany, the ISESCO and others for their assistance and cooperation in organizing this festival.
Dr. Sayed Mohammand Husaini Minister of Culture of Iran representing the friendly countries addressed the gathering and said that praising the poets of Ghazni is reflector of the special position that this city had in enrichment of culture and Islamic civilization.  He noted that immense personalities used to settle in this city for this was the site expansion of science and culture.
He noted that Iran and Afghanistan have common cultural bonds and the high caliber personalities of Ghazni are respected by people of both countries and there is distance among them.  The stressed that in his meeting he had proposed to Dr. Raheen that a sister link between Ghazni and Nisahpur should be maintained.
The message of Dr. Abdul Aziz Ousman chairman of the ISESCO was read out by Dr. Abbas Sadri head of regional office of ISESCO in Teheran.
The message noted that today we are celebrating a civilization that made Afghanistan a part of the important zones of the world.
Dr. Raheen while a great number of foreign guests were present including Nabi Farahi and Sayed Musadeq Khalili deputy minister and head of departments of that ministry visited the exhibition of books and Ghazni museum.  According to another report, the exhibition that has been organized by Ministry of Information and Culture was opened by Dr. Raheen at the National Archive.
According to the head of National Gallery around 100 pieces of calligraphy of Ghazni court is on display at the exhibition.