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.

“It is the first time anything has ever been stolen from the mosque, the first time we have seen looting in God’s house. This is a very sad time for the people of Balkh,” said Hamza

The mosque is believed to be one of the oldest in Afghanistan, though its exact age is not entirely clear. It is a popular attraction for Afghan travellers and foreigners.

Hamza said authorities believed more than one person was involved in the heist, since the carpets were too big and heavy to be carried by a single man.

There was no sign of forced entry, so the criminals must have had a key or picked the lock, the police chief said.

Hamza said the only people with keys to the mosque were the chief cleric, his assistant and a security guard, but none of them were at the building when the theft occurred.

When the cleric’s assistant arrived yesterday morning to prepare the mosque for prayers, he noticed a switch had been made. The carpets, which Hamza said were priceless, had been replaced by newer and poorly-made Iranian carpets worth only about £150 (€225.30) each.

Hamza said he had informed all the carpet and antique shops in the province that they should inform authorities should anybody try to sell the stolen goods. He also warned a government checkpoint along the Uzbekistan border, about 25 miles away, to be on the look out.

“I told everybody that this is God’s property and it must be returned,” Hamza said.

Looting of Afghan antiquities is considered a growing problem, and many items are believed to be taken out of the country.