KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Taliban authorities are demolishing the well-known Bayhaqi Library in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif to clear space for a new commercial center, local sources said on Thursday.
According to the sources, local authorities ordered the historic building to be emptied on Tuesday. Demolition work started the following day, on Wednesday, and was continuing as of Thursday.
They said the demolition follows a contract signed between the Taliban’s Directorate of Information and Culture in Balkh and a private businessman, though details of the agreement and the planned commercial project remain unclear.
The Taliban have not publicly commented on the demolition.
The Bayhaqi Library and Bookstore, located in the fourth district of Mazar-e-Sharif, has long been regarded as one of the most important cultural centers in Balkh province, serving as a hub for literature and learning in the region.
As the demolition proceeded, several cultural figures in Balkh voiced strong concerns, describing the move as amounting to the “destruction of the province’s historical values.”
The demolition reflects a broader pattern under Taliban rule. Since returning to power in 2021, the group has demolished several historic and cultural sites across Afghanistan as part of urban development efforts and replaced them with commercial centers.
Among them is Ariana Cinema, one of Kabul’s oldest cinemas, which was demolished and is being replaced with a commercial complex. The group had earlier also demolished Khair Khana Cinema, another historic cinema in the capital, drawing criticism from cultural activists.
