Archaeologists and residents in the eastern province of Laghman said on Monday that the restoration of the historically-significant Seraj Castle (Qala -e- Seraj), which started two years ago, has been completed.

According to archaeologists, the castle, which is located in Mehterlam city, capital of Laghman province, has four towers, two buildings, and a mosque.

Archaeologists said that Amir Habibullah Khan, former king of Afghanistan, built the palace 110 years ago, and did so to spend his winters there.

“Violence destroyed the palace. It was destroyed both intentionally and naturally,” said Nader Makhawar, an official of Laghman’s information and culture directorate.

Residents of Laghman province criticized how the castle might be used:

“The palace should have some standards. Some government institutions have put their offices in there, and this needs to be prevented,” said Saifurrahman, a local journalist.

“We want President Ghani to pay special attention to the Seraj Castle and the Mehterlam Baba shrine as much as he does to other historic places," said Burhanuddin Nizami, a cultural analyst.

Local officials said that they spent 22 million Afs to rebuild the castle.

“They have ground down bricks and used their powder” said Jawad, head of the construction company.

Based on Laghman’s information and culture directorate, more than 50 historical places are located in the province, but only six have been rebuilt, and the others are located in areas with bad security.