Lost in Time: Groovy Afghanistan A cautionary tale of a vibrant and thriving culture lost in time, these photographs collected on a community Facebook page in Afghanistan are likely to leave you in disbelief. The country we’re so often shown today is comparable to a broken medieval society, but not so long ago, the barren landscape was dotted with stylish buildings, women wore pencil skirts and teenagers shopped at record stores.As you browse the photos that capture progress, hope and that rock’n'roll spirit in the air, keep in mind the implications of what happened to this culture in just a few decades.Above: Afghan women in the 1940sTypical Kabuli Fashion in the 60′s- 70′sMohammad Qayoumi grew up in Kabul during the 60s and 70s and many of his photographs are featured on the Facebook page’s collection. This is the Afghanistan he remembers:A half-century ago, Afghan women pursued careers in medicine; men and women mingled casually at movie theaters and university campuses in Kabul; factories in the suburbs churned out textiles and other goods. There was a tradition of law and order, and a government capable of undertaking large national infrastructure projects, like building hydropower stations and roads, albeit with outside help. Ordinary people had a sense of hope, a belief that education could open opportunities for all, a conviction that a bright future lay ahead. All that has been destroyed by three decades of war, but it was real.This was Afghanistan…A record store in Kabul, 1960sAfghan performersAriana Afghan Airlines flight attendantsKabul, 1960sKandahar Airport built in the 1960sForeign visitors camping in Band-e Amir 1970′sRoad tripping in Afghanistan!Mothers and children at a city playground.Kabul University Students at graduation 1960sA class/meeting for women – around 1980Classroom in Kabul, 1960s“Biology class, Kabul University.”– In the 1950s and ’60s, women were able to pursue professional careers in fields such as medicine. Today, schools that educate women are a target for violence, even more so than five or six years ago.Fashion designer Safia Tarzi in her Kabul studio, 1969Textil store window displayAfghan ladies at Kabul AirportWhen Afghanistan was in Vogue, December 1969..In 1969, this was the Afghanistan that greeted the American Vogue team, when they arrived at Kabul’s International airport. There to do a fashion shoot in Kabul showcasing Afghan fashion and the local sites, the result appeared in the December 1969 issue titled “Afghan Adventure”.Models were photographed against a backdrop of ancient ruins and thriving bazaars.Afghan School girlsWomen’s Rally 1980 A cautionary tale of a vibrant and thriving culture lost in time, these photographs collected on a community Facebook page in Afghanistan... Read more »
The Voice of Afghanistan Episode 10 (Battle Round) The Voice of Afghanistan Episode 10 (Battle RoundWatch the Coaches make some tough choices to eventually cut their Teams in half to 8 members each during the Battle Round in this full 10th episode of The Voice of Afghanistan. The Voice of Afghanistan Episode 10 (Battle Round Watch the Coaches make some tough choices to eventually cut their Teams in half to 8 membe... Read more »
American who speaks 23 languages says Persian is his favorite American who speaks 23 languages says Persian is his favoritePersian, also known as Farsi, is Afghanistan's official tongue along with Pashtu Tajikistan and Iran official tongue and a member of the Indo-European language family. Persian in Afghanistan is called Dari Persian or Farsi Dari in Tajikistan Farsi Tajiki today in alot of countries people may know this language as Iranians official language but the main root of this language is in Khorasan todays Afghanistan. Dari version of Persian is pure and sweeter although it is mixed with alot of Arabic and other languages words but it is still pure. 40 years of war in Afghanistan is the reason why today all historical and cultural credits of historical zone Ariana Khorasan goes to Iran.Persian is also the favorite language of one the few people who has real authority when it comes to comparing languages: 17-year-old Tim Doner. A famous “hyperpolyglot,” which means someone who can speak many languages, Doner says he knows 23. He recently appeared on an Australian morning news program, where the hosts asked him to pick his favorite, and he selected Persian without hesitation. Doner even recited a few lines from the celebrated 14th century Persian poet Hafez, leaving the Australian anchors slightly stunned. (That’s at about 1:30 into the above video.)I can’t verify the level of Doner’s fluency, though some Farsi-speakers who I asked about the video said his pronunciation was good if slightly over-articulated, in the manner of someone who has learned a language but not used it much in conversation. A New York Times story on Doner from last year discussed some of the science behind hyperpolyglots and listed some of his languages: Arabic, Hebrew, French, Latin, Mandarin, Russian, Italian, Swahili, Indonesian, Hindi, Ojibwe (a Native American language), Pashto, Turkish, Hausa (spoken in West Africa), Kurdish, Yiddish, Dutch, Croatian and German.So what makes Persian Doner’s favorite? He doesn’t say, but as someone who does not speak a word of it, I’ve long felt the same way. There’s something wonderfully musical about the language. It’s not hard to see how Persian culture would have developed such a reputation for poetry.Article copied from washingtonpost.com edited by Kabuliyanhub.com American who speaks 23 languages says Persian is his favorite Persian, also known as Farsi, is Afghanistan's official tongue along with ... Read more »