LETTER OF PROTEST TO UNESCO REGARDING DENYING THE RIGHT OF AFGHANISTAN TO ITS CULTURAL HERITAGE

AND HERAT BEING THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE ART OF MINIATURE PAINTING


Attention: Ms. Audrey Azoulay
Director-General of UNESCO
UNESCO Headquarters
7, place de Fontenoy 75352
Paris 07 SP France

Dear Ms. Azoulay,

Pursuant the objection of Herat’s artists, historians and intellectuals; and the official complaint of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information & Culture, we the undersigned hereby express our strong objection to UNESCO in relation to the unreasonable decision on excluding Afghanistan from its legitimate Rights to its rightful cultural heritage regarding the 15th century miniature paintings, mainly known as School of Herat.

As a highly educated person, we are sure that you know the cultural history of the region and understand the reason of our frustration on this unfair discriminatory and biased decision to exclude Afghanistan from the list of the countries as inheritors of the 15th century miniature paintings despite the fact that this specific school of art which flourished in the city of Herat under the Timurid rule. For this reason we would like you to read the following historical facts:

1. According to all firsthand historical evidence, Herat was the capital of the Timurid Empire in the reign of Shahrokh Mirza, besides Samarkand. It was the gathering point of great poets, such as Jami, intellectuals and historians, like Amir Ali Shir Nawaie, Mir Khond and great artists such as Mirak and Behzad from late 14th century until the beginning of 16th century and the rise of the Safavids.

2. During this era, which corresponds with the European Renaissance, the city of Herat was the center of art, poetry, philosophy and immense cultural achievements in the Islamic World. The school of miniature painting of Herat was established during the reign of Shahrokh and Queen Gowharshad with the emergence of great artists such as Musa Musawer, Mir Khalil, Junaid, Mowlana Waliullah Wali and Rohullah Mirk Khorasani Heravi. The excellent artwork and calligraphy, for instance, manifested in Baisonghor Shahnamah (The Epic of Kings), was created in Herat under the patronage of Timurid Dynasty.

3. In the reign of Sultan Hussein Bayqara, the pictorial art of Herat, reached to its peak with the emergence of Kamaluddin Behzad, the most renowned miniaturist painter in the Eastern World. The higher level of innovative dexterity demonstrated in his work made him the lead artist of this era. Thus many artists followed his style, among them, Haidar Ali Heravi, Darwish Mohammad Naqash, Khayyam Heravi, Ahmad Rumi and Mohammad Baig Naqash; and talented calligraphers such as Haidar Mirza, and Qassem Ali Heravi, the author of the history of Rashidi were his famous pupils. Behzad and his students concentrated on the innovative usage of color and maturity of lines and forms.
4. Therefore the school of miniature painting of Herat has its distinct qualities, in terms of composition, colors mixing, fine brush strokes, conception of human and animal figures, and superior treatment of the background, garlanded by fine calligraphy. These qualities establish the main characteristics of the style of paintings that developed in the city of Herat, which cannot be ignored or overlooked.

5. After the death of Sultan Husain Bayqara in 1506, Mohammed Khan Shaibani seized the city of Herat. Thus the crown prince Badi-ul-Zaman left his throne, and while seeking amnesty from the Ottomans, he brought several illustrated albums to Turkey, which are housed in Topkapi Museum in Istanbul.

6. In the year 1510 AD Ismail Safavid attacked the city of Herat, which left behind 15000 deaths. During this hostile time Behzad was taken to Tabriz along with exquisitely illustrated books from the Royal Library of Herat. By the order of Ismail Safavid he had to organize the Kings library and meanwhile train some students. During his residence in Tabriz, Behzad trained several students to learn his trade. Sultan Mohammad Tabrizi, Agha Mirk Isfahani and Muzaffar Ali Naqash were among his pupils who followed his style. However, later in the mid 16th century Byzantine iconography influenced the style of painting in Persia. This style is much different in terms of technique and content than the School of Herat.

7. Thus the generic term “Persian Painting” which is not a common expression in Persian language, and inaccurately used by the Westerners does not apply to the school of art which flourished in Herat during the 15th century.

8. Kamaluddin Behzad son of Sharfuddin, the most celebrated artist of Islamic World, was born in the year 1440 in the small village of Saghar in Ghore, Afghanistan. He was raised in the city of Herat, and upon his return from Tabriz spent the last days of his life in his motherland, until his death in 1533 AD. Kamaluddin Behzad is buried in Koh-e Mokhtar district in the outskirts of the city of Herat.

Therefore, on the basis of historical facts mentioned in this letter, we strongly believe that Afghanistan’s genuine rights should be restored by UNESCO as soon as possible.

Sincerely,