Men and boys on bikes ride past a towering, ancient minaret, outside of Ghazni, Afghanistan, October 1, 2002. Made of brick decorated with Kufic and Naksh Script and floral motifs, the minaret dates back to the early 12th century and was built by Sultan Masud III of the Ghaznavid Dynasty, who ruled over an empire encompassing much of Afghanistan, Northern India, Persia and Central Asia. The minaret was once three times as tall as its current 70 feet, and is thought to have been part of a large mosque complex. Now an important truck stop on the road to Kandahar, Ghazni, located on the Lora River at the elevation of 2,225 meters, is the capital of Ghazni province and is a market for sheep, wool, camel hair cloth, corn, and fruit-it also continues to be a haven for Taliban insurgents.