Ghazni Minarets
Historic Site · Ghazni, Ghazni
Two masterworks of Ghaznavid brick architecture standing 600 metres apart on the plain north-east of Ghazni city — the minarets of Sultan Mas'ud III (built 1099–1115) and Bahram Shah, the only survivors of a great mosque complex from the empire that ruled from here to northern India. Each stood some 44 metres until the 1902 earthquake took their cylindrical upper halves; the surviving 20-metre stellar-plan shafts carry terracotta and brick ornament — geometric panels and Quranic bands — of a quality that made Ghazni a byword for the style. Sheet-metal caps from the 1960s remain the last major protection, and their condition is formally listed as endangered. The ruins of Mas'ud III's palace lie beside them.
Minaret plain, north-east of Ghazni city, Ghazni, Ghazni, Afghanistan
Open ground, daylight visiting only — the highway rhythm and checkpoints set the practical hours. Nothing is published.