“Afghanistan – Die blauen Steine der Pharaonen”

Nature and Environment (), Wolfgang Knöpfler, Paul Reddish 44 min

For 30 years Gary Bowersox, the American adventurer and dealer in precious stones, has often travelled to the mountains in northern Afghanistan to search for the legendary blue stones of the pharaohs. In summer 2001, Bowersox led a UNIVERSUM team (Austrian TV) on adventurous paths to the oldest mines of precious stones in the world. They are located at an altitude of 5,000 m above sea level in the high valleys of the Hindukush. For more than 6,500 years, lapislazuli and other precious stones have been mined here. Lapislazuli were the most worthy goods of the old Egyptians and they placed them in the tombs of the pharaohs on their journey into the afterlife. The deep-blue stone was weighted with gold and was often framed with gold, and it was a symbol for the unlimited universe and for royal dignity. The source of these stones has been a secret for a long time.