Ghazni officially declared as the capital for Islamic Culture and Civilization

The ceremony to declare Ghazni City as the Asian Capital of Islamic Culture and Civilization began on Saturday at 10:20am and the celebration will continue for a week.

Ghazni was titled the center for Islamic Culture and Civilization in 2007 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The city has been busy since then preparing for this much-awaited ceremony that has been attended by foreign ministers from about 40 Islamic countries.

Key figures from the Afghan government including Vice President Karim Khalili and senior advisor to President Hamid Karzai Naimatullah Shahrani along with members of parliament, ambassadors, governors and tribal leaders were present in the ceremony.

The Afghan government executed several development schemes to renovate the historical shrines and monuments of the city.

Security  for visitors has been maintained with a number of check posts established at entrances to the city.

Ghazni was turned into a wealthy city during the reign of Mahmud of Ghazni, the most prominent ruler of the Ghaznavid Empire. He brought together Islam, the Persian language and the Turkish art of war in an empire that once stretched from today’s Iran to India.