Embassy of Qatar to Malaysia Receives Afghan Artifact to Be Delivered to National Museum in Kabul
Kuala Lumpur - Information Office - June 15
The Embassy of the State of Qatar to Malaysia received today an artifact belonging to the National Museum of Afghanistan that Qatar is responsible for transporting to the Afghan capital Kabul.
The artifact was handed to HE Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Malaysia Fahad bin Mohammed Kafood by HE Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to Malaysia Moheb Rahman Spinghar, in preparation for its delivery to Kabul, via Doha.
The reason the State of Qatar is taking the responsibility of bringing the artifact back to Kabul comes from Qatar's efforts and leadership internationally in protecting and maintaining World Heritage worldwide, given that the country is a member of the World Heritage Committee part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the period (2021-2025).
It is worth mentioning that the artifact is a marble tablet that goes back to the 12th century and was used to adorn the residence of King Mahmud of Ghazni and the royal court of King Mas'ud III of Ghazni (1061-1115).
The tablet displays a narrow band of floral kufic inscriptions on top of an intricate panel of interlaced arabesques and intricate designs. The piece is one of the earliest examples of the use of Arabic script for pictorial writing purposes in architecture (inspired by the Persian language).
Furthermore, the artifact belongs to the National Museum of Afghanistan but was in the Islamic Arts Museum in Malaysia after buying it from an English dealer.