Over 16,000 Tourists Visit Herat Museum in One Year

The Herat Directorate of Information and Culture has announced that more than 16,000 domestic and foreign tourists visited the province’s museum over the past year.

The Herat Museum, recognized as the second-largest in the country, houses around 500 historical artifacts and relics. Some of these items date back as far as 20,000 years.

Abdul Jabbar Noorzai, the museum’s director, stated: “Over the past year, more than 16,000 domestic and international tourists visited the Herat Museum and became familiar with its rich culture and historical heritage. We are implementing programs aimed at increasing the number of visitors year by year.”

Every day, dozens of visitors step into the museum to connect with Afghanistan’s rich historical past. The museum’s relics vividly illustrate thousands of years of the nation’s history.

Mirwais Hotak, one of the visitors, said: “I saw many historical artifacts here, and it’s clear that Afghanistan has a profoundly rich history. The preservation of these relics is commendable, and visiting them was fascinating.”

Another visitor, Abdul Qayoom Taheri, said: “Tourists come here in groups, and even foreign travelers visit to see the historical artifacts. The place is peaceful, and both the Qala-e-Ikhtiyaruddin (Ikhtiyaruddin Fortress) and the museum itself are worth visiting.”

Out of approximately 3,000 historical items in the museum’s collection, only 500 are on display. The lack of space and proper preservation facilities is cited as a major challenge.

Abdul Qayoom Waziri, a historical preservation expert, stated: “The current museum building suffers from humidity, which poses a threat to the artifacts. A standard, modern museum needs to be built in Herat to ensure the proper preservation of these valuable relics.”

The Herat Museum is considered the second-largest and oldest in Afghanistan after the National Museum. Its collection spans multiple historical eras, including the Stone Age, the Samanid, Ghaznavid, Timurid, Seljuk, and contemporary periods. 
According to the Herat Directorate of Information and Culture, some artifacts in the museum have a historical background of up to 20,000 years.