Kabul the capital of Afghanistan was once a cosmopolitan city. Now it is a city of great contrasts as some areas are being reconstructed and other areas are expanding to include the returning refugee population. The destruction resulting from many years of fighting has taken its toll.
*Photos from Guldara on are outside of Kabul
Darulaman Palace – The Palace was built in 1923 by King Amanullah (r. 1891-1929) and designed by a French architect. Before its destruction during the 1992 factional fighting it was surrounded by gracious gardens where Afghans would come for picnics. Remnants of the garden can be seen in the purple Arghawan (Judas Tree).
Darulaman Palace – Presently the palace overlooks the Canadian International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) main base. In February of 2003 I walked all through the destroyed palace and was looking forward to showing it to my fellow traveler, only to discover as we climbed the hill, that the windows of the bottom floor had been closed with cinder blocks and sand bagged guard posts were on all sides. The whole building was surrounded by razor wire. We discovered that the palace had been used by a hostile force to fire rockets into the ISAF compound.
King Amanullah also had a small train and track was laid to take him into the city center. The remains are presently behind the Kabul Museum. The frame of a former Ministry building can be seen behind the wall.
Kabul Museum – Once a jewel and a leading museum of Central Asia, the museum was looted and destroyed by many different factions and particularly by the Taliban. Currently it is being reconstructed with Greek and UNESCO funding, although most of the collections are lost.
Kabul Museum – We wandered into the basement where we heard sounds, to discover a team of curators and a consultant from UNESCO working to categorize thousands of potshards of what is known as one of the best research collections for pottery in Central Asia. Because there were no human images depicted on this collection, it was not touched by the Taliban who destroyed objects with human representations because this was considered idolatry in their fundamentalist form of Islam.
These workmen were forced to take a break because the electricity had failed, a common occurrence.
Babur Gardens – The marble mosque built in 1646 is located just below Babur's tomb in six hectares of walled gardens which are currently being lovingly restored. The Babur gardens were laid out by the first Moghul emperor, Zahir-ed-Din Mohammad Babur Shah in the 16th Century. Despite their current condition, the gardens serve as a symbol of a return to more peaceful times and are enjoyed by the locals for weekend picnics.
The Mosque was restored in 1964-1966 by the Italian Archaeological Mission and once again is undergoing restoration from the damage sustained during the years of heavy fighting in the area of Kabul.
King Nadir Shah's Mausoleum – This tomb is the final resting place of recent monarchs of Afghanistan's royal family. Located on high ground it was fought over by the various factions of the Mujaheddin.
Even the Canadian International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF) visits the "tourist attractions" with the latest form of technology, their digital cameras.
Guldara – A sacred watering hole protected by ancient trees in the valley of Guldara (Valley of Flowers).
The Buddhist stupa at Guldara dates from the fourth century A.D. and was a solid mass of rough stone and mud with a small chamber constructed to house the reliquary.
The outer walls consist of thin neatly placed layers of schist interspersed with large blocks of stone. this Kushan workmanship is known as "diaper masonry.: It is interesting to note that the stupa was originally plastered and painted ochre with red designs.
Bamiyan – The journey from Kabul to Bamiyan is spectacular as one travels through a variety of very different geological formations and mountain passes. Shahr-i-Zohak or the Red City appears as a decorative piece of the mountain as one enters the Bamiyan valley. Even though the Buddhas were destroyed by the Taliban their presence is felt in the valley. One can almost still see their forms. This was one of the most peaceful places I have been.
Mazar-i-Sharif – Shrine of Hazrat Ali is home to thousands of white pigeons considered to be sacred.