History of Afghanistan

1. History of Afghanistan The 1970’s

2. 1. Mosque (church) in Herat, Afghanistan -1977Herat is one of the first cities a traveler encounters coming from Iran. In the center of the city was an attractive 800-year-old blue-tiled mosque providing a central focus. Its minarets appeared better maintained than the old ones on the edge of the city. Minaret

3. 2. Boys playing near a castle in Herat A few months after this picture was taken the government was overthrown in a coup d'état (revolution). This began a chain of events that ultimately led to Soviet intervention and a brutal civil war that continues between rival factions today.

4. 3. Speaking FarsiCameras were a novelty in Afghanistan in the 1970’s; people seeing a camera would often ask to have their pictures taken. As few spoke English other than those who dealt regularly with travelers (most Afghans speak Farsi), communication was mainly through sign language.

5. 4. Young Boy, Afghanistan -1977 A young boy from Herat, a city known for its streets and markets.

6. 5. Young men making bricksBuildings were typically single-storey constructions of mud bricks. Just below the ancient mud-walled citadel, PaiHesar, men are seen making mud bricks and baking them in the scorching hot sun to make them hard enough to built mud huts.

7. 6. Mud Huts The road from Herat to Mazar-i-Sharif was rough and mostly unpaved. It crossed several mid-sized ranges of craggy mountains, a few lush river valleys, and vast expanses of sparsely populated desert. Long hours of travel through open country were broken by occasional villages, such as this one with its typical mud buildings.

8. 7. Boy with slingshot around his neckThis young man has a slingshot around his neck. Anyone with a camera in hand was considered fair game for Afghan little boys with slingshots, rocks, or chunks of dung (manure). Most of the time it was a grand game. This picture was taken three days before the Teraki coup, which overthrew the Daoud regime and brought the Communist Party to power.

9. 8. Prayer time (Namaz) and prayer rugs-1977Afghanistan is deeply religious and prayer is an important activity. The call to prayer from the mosque could be heard throughout the city. Even travelling in the desert, the vehicle would pull over and let passengers off at prayer times.

10. 9. Motor vehicles in Afghanistan Travel through the countryside was in little Russian-built jeep-like vehicles that went by the generic name "motor." These had open backs with several hard benches. Passengers and baggage were packed as tightly as possible into the back. The "motors" were in poor shape and frequently broke down, often stranding passengers for hours in the blazing desert with no shade except to crawl under the vehicle while the drivers worked on it.

11. 10. Motor vehicles in Afghanistan Climbing steep hills, at times some of the passengers had to get out and walk so the vehicle could handle the grade (slope).

12. 11. Women in AfghanistanAs a strongly Islamic country, Afghanistan's public face was overwhelmingly male. Travelers did not deal with or even encounter Afghan women. A burqa - The head-to-toe covering that women wore -- with only a small mesh for the eyes -- was the most severe of anywhere in the Islamic world. On the few occasions when women were visible, such as on inter-city buses, they were strictly segregated.

13. 12. Kite Fighting Kite-running is a two-person affair, with one person called the “charka gir” and the other called the “gudiparanbaz.” The charka gir is in charge of the holding the wooden kite spool, around which the wire, or “tar” is wound. The second person, called the “gudiparanbaz” actually is in control of the move-ment of the kite in the air. Kite flyers stand on tops of buildings, fighting with kites from all over the city. The object is to strike down the kite of your opponent with the string of your kite, after which you will be called the winner. The strings are often made with razor wire which gives the sharpness to cut down other kites. After an opponent’s kite is set free, it flutters away into the wind where it is usually picked up by the local children, who fly it the next day as their own.

14. 13. Russians in AfghanistanThe Soviet War in Afghanistan, also known as the Soviet-Afghan War, was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan at their own request, against the Islamist Mujahedeen Resistance. The mujahedeen found other support from a variety of sources including the United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt. 1979 - Mujahedeen convene outside a Soviet garrison, preparing to launch a mortar attack. Russians finally leave Afghanistan in 1989

15. 14. Men and women Afghanistan is a male-dominated society, at least in public, where women are secluded behind heavy shrouded veils. Perhaps, in consequence, open displays of affection between men are common. Such displays are not indicative of homosexuality, which is frowned upon by Islam.

16. 15. Afghan tea shopTea, Afghanistan's unofficial national drink, is offered to guests within moments of arrival for an official meeting or a social get-together. To not offer a glass is a social affront and is meant to make a point by an unhappy or unwilling host.

17. 16. Food in Afghanistan Naan is cooked in a tandoor or clay oven, from which tandoori cooking takes its name. Typically, the naan will be served hot and brushed with ghee or butter. It can be used to scoop other foods, or served stuffed with a filling: for example, keemanaan is stuffed with a minced meat mixture (usually lamb or mutton) .

18. 17. Butcher in Heart 1974The most widely used meat is lamb. Recipes differ with every restaurant, but Afghan kebab is usually spiced with salt only, and served with naan, rarely rice. Pieces of fat from the sheep's tail (jijeq) are usually added with the lamb skewers to add extra flavor. Other popular kebabs include lamb chops, ribs, kofta (ground beef) and chicken.

19. 18. Hazara TemplesBamiyan is set on a fertile plateau, and the town is noted for its huge Buddha figures carved into the side of a cliff more than 1,500 years ago. The Buddhas were defaced by Muslim conquerors many years ago, but they remained in good condition until recently. In a grotesque case of cultural vandalism, the extreme Islamist Taliban government destroyed this and other centuries-old "idols" in March 2001.

20. 19. One of the many deep and beautiful lakes of Afghanistan

21. 20. Road from Kabul to JalalabadThis is the road that links the capital city of Kabul to the town of Jalalabad. Because of the many traffic accidents, the road between Jalalabad and Kabul is considered to be one of the most dangerous in the world.

22. 21. The Face of AfghanistanUnder orders from a Taliban commander acting as a judge, Aisha’s nose and ears were sliced off last year as punishment for fleeing her husband’s home, according to Time’s story and other accounts. She said she fled to escape her in-laws’ beatings and abuse. Now in a women’s shelter, she is set to get reconstructive surgery in the U.S. Aisha posed for the Time cover photo because she wanted readers to see the potential consequences of a Taliban resurgence, the magazine said. Prominent Afghan women have expressed concerns that a potential government reconciliation with the insurgents could cost them freedoms they have gained since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion toppled the former Taliban regime.