(MENAFN- Pajhwok Afghan News)
PUL-I-KHUMRI (Pajhwok): Now turned into a dirt hill, Cham Kala (fort) dating back to the Kushan period had been once the place of entertainment and festivals involving kings.
Cham Kala is located three kilometers south of the 12th road of Baghlan district. During last King of Afghanistan Zahir Shah's reign, a week-long traditional fair would take place annually and the king would participate in the fair.
Tribal elder and former jihadi commander Sayed Mohammad told Pajhwok he had constructed a trench and shelter for mujahideen on the Cham Kala hill during the Russian invasion.
“During the Jihad, we built a trench on the hill for fighting due its strategic importance in overlooking surrounding areas. Every foreign invader and local ruler wanted to be in control of this hill, but due to the wars, now only a dirt hill remains”.
He said that the government should restore the historic fort and revive the holding of traditional fairs.
Another local elder Khiyal Mohammad Atal said the ancient fort was the place of feasting of kings.
“Zahir Shah would come to this fort for entertainment, but during the civil wars, some ancient objects were looted or destroyed and now an empty hill remains.”
A resident of Taghar village near the ancient hill and a former jihadi commander told Pajhwok:“A few years ago, a foreigner visited Cham Kala and said“This hill is not ordinary. It is home to so many precious stones enough to rebuild a ruined Baghlan many times. Roads will be constructed and electricity provided to you if you take proper care of the fort.”
Some other residents held similar views and asked the government to the restore the historical area.
In this regard, Maulvi Izat Mir Haqqani, tourism head at Baghlan Department of Information and Culture, told Pajhwok that he had proposed the restoration of several important historical areas to the ministry, including Cham Kala.
He said about two thousand and five hundred years ago, a warrior of the Kushan dynasty built Cham Kala as an information center.
He said that currently many parts of the historical area had been destroyed and some areas occupied by local people and had built houses on them.
But he said they were trying to restore the historical area and provide people with a suitable place for celebrations.
About 106 areas including Cham Kala have been registered as historical places in Baghlan.
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