Priceless carpets stolen from ancient Afghan mosque

Three large, priceless carpets were stolen from an ancient Afghan mosque by thieves who struck in the middle of the night and replaced them with cheap imitations.

The carpets, each made in the early 1900s specifically for the centuries-old Khawaja Abu Nasr Parsa mosque in northern Balkh province, were stolen, said local police chief Mir Hamza. Each of the carpets was about 30 feet long and richly woven in a deep red.