A magnitude-6.3 quake damaged the historic Blue Mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif, killing at least 27 and injuring nearly 1,000; locals call on the Afghans (Taliban) to begin urgent repairs.
How Afghans Are Rebuilding Faith and Future
A magnitude-6.3 earthquake struck near Mazar-i-Sharif on Monday, killing at least 27 people and injuring almost 1,000 as it levelled homes and damaged heritage sites — including the fifteenth-century Hazrat Ali Shrine, widely known as the Blue Mosque. The tremor left tiles broken and minarets cracked, prompting local calls for an urgent restoration plan to protect the shrine before Afghanistan’s harsh winter sets in.
The Blue Mosque, one of Afghanistan’s most revered religious landmarks and believed to be the burial site of Hazrat Ali, suffered visible structural damage after the quake. Residents and university lecturers in Mazar-i-Sharif described the mosque as a preeminent symbol of the city and urged the Taliban administration to commit resources for immediate repairs and long-term conservation of the mosaic work and minarets. No major repair work had begun at the site in the immediate aftermath.
