Mas'ud III Minaret Mas'ud III's minaret is stylistically more complex, and uses a larger variety of decorative techniques, compared to the minaret of his son Bahram Shah. The large terracotta tiles are split into 8 decorative bands. The bands contain a mix of
Kufic and
Naskh scripts, as well as decorative geometric and floral patterns carved in
relief. The top three bands have details of knotted Kufic script surrounded by star patterns. On the main (middle) band, there are the names of Mas'ud III, the prophet, Orthodox caliphs and Imams Husayn and Hasan. On bands two and four there are large inlaid floral scrolls on the panels, while bands one and five contain the geometric motifs. The four lower panels contain cursive inscriptions of Victory
sura of the
Quran with a floral background. The minaret was commissioned by the Ghaznavid Sultan Mas'ud III and was built during his reign. Mas'ud III was enthusiastic to embellish his capital of Ghazni with gardens, palaces, and monuments such as the minaret. He was known as the "Beneficent Sultan" and was wealthy enough to build such things. An earthquake in 1902 collapsed the slimmer upper parts of both the Mas'ud III's minaret and Bahram Shah minaret. The Mas'ud III minaret stood 44 meters tall before the earthquake, but currently stands at 21 meters. The remaining base of the minaret forms an 8-sided star shape. To conserve the remaining structure, sheet metal protective roofing was installed in the 1960's. File:Mas'ud III b. Ibrahim minaret, Ghazni, built between 1099 and 1115 CE.jpg|Mas'ud III's minaret, Ghazni, built between 1099 and 1115 CE. Photographed in the 19th century. The top half collapsed in an earthquake in 1902. Included among these architectural designs are numerous geometric shapes with intersecting lines, medallion details, and lines of Kufic script, all of which are created through the use of relief carving techniques. At the top of the minaret, there is a pointed roof made of tin that was placed following the toppling of the structure’s upper portion during an earthquake in 1902. As a result of the earthquake, the structure now stands at approximately 20 meters in height, but it had previously exceeded 44 meters in height. It is not known what prompted the building of Bahram Shah’s minaret; however, given his relative lack of military and political success, it was likely built in an attempt to emulate his father or for self-glorification. File:Bahram Shah Minaret (1839).jpg|Bahram Shah minaret in 1839, with cylindrical top half (fallen in 1902). File:Ghazni-Minaret.jpg|Bahram Shah's minaret as seen in 2001. File:Ghazni minar ghazni Afghanistan.jpg|Remaining basis of Bahram Shah's minaret in Ghazni. File:Bahram Shah Minaret (decorative detail).jpg|Bahram Shah Minaret (decorative detail) ==See also==