Lapis Lazuli mining in Sari-i-Sang in northern Afghanistan
Years of war and exploitation have degraded many of Afghanistan's natural resources. But among the still highly prized assets is the lapis lazuli gemstone which has been mined in northern Afghanistan for 6000 years. The only pure source of the stone lies in Sar-i-Sang in the Kocha valley of northern Afghanistan. James Bays makes the dangerous journey to the mines and finds men who risk their lives to get to these gems. To get to the world's largest lapis lazuli mine - you have to go on a gruelling journey. It takes more than 12 hours from the nearest town by road, although there are no real roads to speak of. These are mountain passes - some them are extremely treacherous - and they can only be navigated slowly and extremely carefully. Finally, you drop down into the Kocha valley - and the mines at Sari-i-Sang, where a village has been built to house the hundreds of men involved in the search for lapis lazuli. The gemstone - actually a complex mineral made up of sodium and aluminium has been highly sought after for thousands of years. The deep ocean blue stones are on sale as jewellery and gift boxes in shops in Kabul, but much of the lapis mined in Northern Afghanistan is smuggled across the border to Pakistan. The village is the base camp for a highly lucrative, yet until recently a totally illegal, business. You are already at a high altitude here - before you start climbing to the mines themselves. At this height you soon get out of breath. Once inside the dark <b>...</b>
Lapis Lazuli Afghaninstan Sar-i-Sang Al Jazeera James Bays English
