In Afghanistan, the monument to Alisher Navoi was demolished

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan has sent a request to the Afghan side demanding an explanation for the reasons behind the demolition. The Afghan authorities stated that the old site "did not match the scale of Navoi's personality" and promised to construct a new memorial complex.

However, the decision to demolish was not approved by either the Ministry of Culture of Afghanistan or the public.

This is not the first precedent: in February 2023, the bas-relief of Navoi was already damaged. That incident was classified by the Uzbekistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an act of "vandalism". In response, the government of Afghanistan declared that the monument had been destroyed by unknown persons.

The demolished monument was erected 17 years ago by the administration of Mazar-i-Sharif in memory of Navoi.