PAN, October 30, 2014

Ancient room discovered in Jalrez mountains

“It is made of floral stones and has a pond of natural water”

By Idrees Noori

A spacious ancient stone room has been discovered in the Araban area of Jalrez district in central Maidan Wardak province, officials said on Thursday.

Locals initially noticed a small hole in a mountain where they were quarrying stones, Attaullah Khogyani, the governor’s spokesman, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

After going inside, they saw a grotto-type room, which is said to be 20 metres long, 18 metres wide and three metres high. “It is made of floral stones and has a pond of natural water,” the official said.

The Department of Information and Culture has been informed of the discovery and directed to inspect the historical site as soon as possible, according to the gubernatorial spokesman.

Director of Information Aurang Mukhtar confirmed receiving a formal letter in this regard, promising a team would be dispatched to the area. He also warned of security problems in the district.

But the administrative head for Jalrez, Naqibullah Haideri, said the security personnel had been instructed to guard the site. Residents have been urged to extending a helping hand to the security forces.

On the other hand, Jalrez resident Masihullah accused the government of having a poor track record in protecting such sites. Many such discoveries had been mishandled in the past, he claimed.

Characters Count: 1554