KABUL: Taliban have started demolishing the historic Bayhaqi Library in Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Afghanistan’s northern Balkh province, to make way for a new commercial centre, local sources said.
According to sources, local authorities ordered the building to be emptied on Tuesday. Demolition work began on Wednesday and was continuing on Thursday.
The move follows a contract signed between the Taliban’s Directorate of Information and Culture in Balkh and a private businessman. However, details of the agreement and the planned commercial project have not been made public.
The Bayhaqi Library and Bookstore, located in the fourth district of Mazar-e-Sharif, has long been regarded as one of Balkh’s important cultural centres. It served as a space for books, literature and learning in a province historically known for its intellectual and cultural heritage.
As demolition work continued, several cultural figures in Balkh expressed concern, describing the move as the destruction of the province’s historical values.
The demolition has also revived criticism of the Taliban’s treatment of Afghanistan’s cultural and historical sites since returning to power in 2021.
In recent years, the group has demolished several old cultural landmarks under urban development projects, replacing them with commercial complexes.
Among them was Ariana Cinema, one of Kabul’s oldest cinemas, which was demolished to make way for a commercial centre. The Taliban had earlier also demolished Khair Khana Cinema in Kabul, drawing criticism from cultural activists.
