Keeping History Alive

253 Pages·2016·16.07 MB·English

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Published in 2015 by the United Nations Educational, Scientifi c and Cultural Organization, 7, place de Fontenoy, 75352
Paris 07 SP, France and UNESCO Offi ce in Kabul, House 647, Jami Watt, PD-10, Shahr-e Naw, Kabul, Afghanistan
© UNESCO 2015
ISBN 978-92-3-100064-5
United Nations
Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization

This publication is available in Open Access under the Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 IGO (CC-BY-ND 3.0 IGO) license (Uhttp://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/igo/). By using the content of this publication, the users accept to be bound
by the terms of use of the UNESCO Open Access Repository (www.unesco.org/open-access/terms-use-ccbynd-en).
The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of
any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territKory, city or area or of
its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
The ideas and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors; they are not necessarily those of
UNESCO and do not commit the Organization.
C
Editors: Brendan Cassar and Sara Noshadi
Cover photo: UNESCO/ICONEM
Graphic design: UNESCO Afghanistan Offi ce
Cover design: UNESCO Afghanistan Offi ce
Typeset: Rouya Doost
A
Printed by FKH Media, Afghanistan Keeping
Printed in United Arab Emirates
History Alive
Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Post-Confl ict Afghanistan
Editors:
Brendan Cassar and Sara Noshadi
United Nations Ministry of Information and Culture
(cid:40)(cid:71)(cid:88)(cid:70)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:54)(cid:70)(cid:76)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:191)(cid:70)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:71) The Islamic Republic of
Cultural Organization Afghanistan
Published in 2015 by the United Nations Educational, Scientifi c and Cultural Organization, 7, place de Fontenoy, 75352
Paris 07 SP, France and UNESCO Offi ce in Kabul, House 647, Jami Watt, PD-10, Shahr-e Naw, Kabul, Afghanistan
© UNESCO 2015
ISBN 978-92-3-100064-5
United Nations
Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization

This publication is available in Open Access under the Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 IGO (CC-BY-ND 3.0 IGO) license (http:// U
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0/igo/). By using the content of this publication, the users accept to be bound
by the terms of use of the UNESCO Open Access Repository (www.unesco.org/open-access/terms-use-ccbynd-en).
The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this publication do not imply the expression of
any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of K
its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
The ideas and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors; they are not necessarily those of
UNESCO and do not commit the Organization.
C
Editors: Brendan Cassar and Sara Noshadi
Cover photo: UNESCO/ICONEM
Graphic design: UNESCO Afghanistan Offi ce
Cover design: UNESCO Afghanistan Offi ce
Typeset: Rouya Doost
A
Printed by FKH Media, Afghanistan Keeping
Printed in United Arab Emirates
History Alive
Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Post-Confl ict Afghanistan
Editors:
Brendan Cassar and Sara Noshadi
United Nations Ministry of Information and Culture
(cid:40)(cid:71)(cid:88)(cid:70)(cid:68)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:82)(cid:81)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:54)(cid:70)(cid:76)(cid:72)(cid:81)(cid:87)(cid:76)(cid:191)(cid:70)(cid:3)(cid:68)(cid:81)(cid:71) The Islamic Republic of
Cultural Organization Afghanistan
U
K
C
Dedicated to all the Afghan people who have worked and
continue to struggle to safeguard their cultural heritage.
A
Acknowledgments
The idea for this publication was fi rst mooted in late A book on cultural heritage would be somewhat duller
2011. The publication is the result of 18 months of without photos to demonstrate the beauty and depth
work; a vigorous and concerted effort by contributors of heritage in Afghanistan, so we must thank Majid
within Afghanistan and abroad. Our aim was nothing Saeedi, Jacob Simkin, John Wendle and Massoud
less than to chart the range of work being done in this Etemdi, Mani Meshkin Qalam, Abdullah Rafi q and
Sector; to record the previous decade of sustained Sadiq Nasiri for allowing us to re-print their photo-
cultural heritage development initiatives and to graphs. U
act as a guide to cultural heritage professionals oper-
ating in other similarly charged settings. With a nota- Several people at the UNESCO Offi ce in Afghanistan
ble absence of publications in recent years concerned contributed many hours of their attention towards im-
with the cultural heritage of Afghanistan, we believe proving this book. Putting it together was a team effort
that this is a much needed contribution covering a di- and the hard work of members of the Offi ce should
K
verse range of relevant subjects and areas. be acknowledged here also. Translations from Dari
and French were provided by Reza Sharifi and Sara
We are grateful for the breadth and extensive heri- Noshadi. Salim Rafi k created the graphic design and
tage sector experience that is refl ected in the essays capably oversaw the layout of the publication. Wahid
in this volume. Excellent contributions were submitted Amini provided further assitance on graphic design.
C
by national and international experts who worked on Nazifa Noor wonderfully coordinated with authors and
the ground in Afghanistan for many years. The diverse partners for copyright issues. Ghulam Reza Moham-
contributions covering many issues and areas of ex- madi and Ahmad Nasir Yawar provided additional
pertise is what makes this publication exciting and photographs from Bamiyan and Herat.
timely.
A
UNESCO is indebted to many other friends, col-
Sincere thanks goes to the Swiss government and leagues and heritage sector partners too numerous to
its representatives in Kabul for their support through mention. We are grateful for all your earnest support
the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. and constructive feedback and comments to improve
They did not just underwrite this publication. We ap- the publication.
preciate their encouragement and patience and salute
their involvement as capable heritage advocates in Af- Finally, we wish to acknowledge Paolo Fontani, the
ghanistan. UNESCO Representative in Afghanistan from 2012
to 2015, for his unwavering support and constructive
UNESCO would also like to express its deepest grati- advice throughout all phases of the production of this
tude to the Ministry of Information and Culture in Kabul book. Without him, it would have not been possible to
for their continued, informed and productive coopera- complete this work.
tion since 1948. In recent years that strong support
has come from many individuals, but we would like
to note in particular H. E. Minister Dr. Sayed Makh-
doom Raheen, Mr. Omar Sultan, Special Advisor to
the Ministry of Information and Culture and Mr. Omara
Khan Masoudi, the legendary Director of the National
Museum of Afghanistan.
An Afghan man organizes a pile of threads after being dyed © Majid Saeedi
6 Keeping History Alive Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Post-Confl ict Afghanistan 7
Acknowledgments
The idea for this publication was fi rst mooted in late A book on cultural heritage would be somewhat duller
2011. The publication is the result of 18 months of without photos to demonstrate the beauty and depth
work; a vigorous and concerted effort by contributors of heritage in Afghanistan, so we must thank Majid
within Afghanistan and abroad. Our aim was nothing Saeedi, Jacob Simkin, John Wendle and Massoud
less than to chart the range of work being done in this Etemdi, Mani Meshkin Qalam, Abdullah Rafi q and
Sector; to record the previous decade of sustained Sadiq Nasiri for allowing us to re-print their photo-
cultural heritage development initiatives and to graphs. U
act as a guide to cultural heritage professionals oper-
ating in other similarly charged settings. With a nota- Several people at the UNESCO Offi ce in Afghanistan
ble absence of publications in recent years concerned contributed many hours of their attention towards im-
with the cultural heritage of Afghanistan, we believe proving this book. Putting it together was a team effort
that this is a much needed contribution covering a di- and the hard work of members of the Offi ce should
K
verse range of relevant subjects and areas. be acknowledged here also. Translations from Dari
and French were provided by Reza Sharifi and Sara
We are grateful for the breadth and extensive heri- Noshadi. Salim Rafi k created the graphic design and
tage sector experience that is refl ected in the essays capably oversaw the layout of the publication. Wahid
in this volume. Excellent contributions were submitted Amini provided further assitance on graphic design.
C
by national and international experts who worked on Nazifa Noor wonderfully coordinated with authors and
the ground in Afghanistan for many years. The diverse partners for copyright issues. Ghulam Reza Moham-
contributions covering many issues and areas of ex- madi and Ahmad Nasir Yawar provided additional
pertise is what makes this publication exciting and photographs from Bamiyan and Herat.
timely.
A
UNESCO is indebted to many other friends, col-
Sincere thanks goes to the Swiss government and leagues and heritage sector partners too numerous to
its representatives in Kabul for their support through mention. We are grateful for all your earnest support
the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. and constructive feedback and comments to improve
They did not just underwrite this publication. We ap- the publication.
preciate their encouragement and patience and salute
their involvement as capable heritage advocates in Af- Finally, we wish to acknowledge Paolo Fontani, the
ghanistan. UNESCO Representative in Afghanistan from 2012
to 2015, for his unwavering support and constructive
UNESCO would also like to express its deepest grati- advice throughout all phases of the production of this
tude to the Ministry of Information and Culture in Kabul book. Without him, it would have not been possible to
for their continued, informed and productive coopera- complete this work.
tion since 1948. In recent years that strong support
has come from many individuals, but we would like
to note in particular H. E. Minister Dr. Sayed Makh-
doom Raheen, Mr. Omar Sultan, Special Advisor to
the Ministry of Information and Culture and Mr. Omara
Khan Masoudi, the legendary Director of the National
Museum of Afghanistan.
An Afghan man organizes a pile of threads after being dyed © Majid Saeedi
6 Keeping History Alive Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Post-Confl ict Afghanistan 7
Contents:
Acknowledgments .................................................................... 6 A short history of nearly a century of scientifi c research in Af- Minarets and Mughal Gardens - Projects Undertaken & Support-
ghanistan (1922-2015), Julio Bendezu-Sarmiento & Philippe ed by the Department for the Preservation of Historical Monu-
Foreword by H.E. Mohammad Ashraf Ghani President of the Marquis ..................................................................................... 104 ments, 2002 - 2012, Abdul Ahad Abassi ................................... 216
Islamic Republique of Afghanistan ............................................ 10
Recent Archaeological Discoveries at Mes Aynak, Logar Prov- Restoration of the Timur Shah Mausoleum, Kabul, Aga Khan
Foreword by Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO ........ 12 ince, Khair Mohammed Khairzada ........................................... 114 Trust for Culture ........................................................................ 222
Introduction by Brendan Cassar and Sara Noshadi ................. 14 Noh Gombadân Hâji Piyâda Mosque, an Architectural Chapter 5: The World Heritage Property of Bamiyan – Past Initiatives,
Chefd’oeuvre in Balkh Considered as a Potential World Heritage Current Research and Future Proposals in the ‘Valley of
U
Chapter 1: The Long-Term Protection of Afghanistan’s Cultural Prop- Cultural Landscape, Chahryar Adle .......................................... 120 A Thousand Caves’ ................................................................. 231
erty and Recent International Cooperation – The Status Quo
of the National Museum and Archive Services .................... 31 Chapter 3: The Nature, Role and Future of Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding the Buddha Statues in Bamiyan and the Sustain-
in Afghanistan ......................................................................... 135 able Protection of Afghan Cultural Heritage,
Safeguarding Culture to Build Peace: The Commitment of the Mounir Bouchenaki ................................................................... 232
K Afghan Government & the Contribution of the International Com- A Policy Framework for the Rehabilitation of Cultural and Creative
munity, Omar Sultan ................................................................. 32 Industries in Afghanistan, Aman Mojadidi ............................... 136 Preserving the Fragments of the Buddha’s of Bamiyan and their
Future Presentation, Michael Petzet ....................................... 238
The National Museum of Afghanistan: Poised for the Challenges dOCUMENTA (13) in Kabul, Bamiyan and Kassel, A Synergy of
of the Future, Nancy Hatch-Dupree ......................................... 34 Art and Politics, Abassin Nessar .............................................. 146 The Recent Discovery of Tang Dynasty Artefacts in Bamiyan, Af-
C ghanistan, Kusako Maeda ...................................................... 244
1919-2014 and Beyond, A Positive Outlook for the National Mu- Tales from the Valleys of the Wakhan and Kabul Old City: Folk-
seum of Afghanistan, Omra Khan Masoudi .............................. 42 lore and Memory as Intangible Cultural Heritage, Khadem Hus- The Islamic Shrines of Khoja Sabzposh: Conservation of a Living
sain and Andy Miller ................................................................ 154 Religious Monument in Bamiyan, Bert Praxenthaler ................ 250
Preserving Afghan Treasures and Building a National Identity:
A A Strategy for the National Museum of Afghanistan, Chapter 4: Preservation of the Historic Built Environment and Cultural
Robert Knox .............................................................................. 52 Landscapes - Recent Case Studies from the Provinces ..... 169
The Role of National and International Institutions in Addressing The Challenge of Safeguarding Afghanistan’s Urban Heritage,
the Illicit Traffi c of Cultural Property, René Teijgeler ................. 56 Jolyon Leslie ........................................................................... 170
Afghan Exhibitions, 2002–2012, Pierre Cambon ...................... 64 Architectural Conservation and Historical Monuments in Ghazni
Province - Highlights of the Ghaznavid Empire, Sayed Mayal Ma-
The National Archives of Afghanistan: Preserving Images, Litera- tahar .......................................................................................... 176
ture and Art for Future Generations, Sakhi Muneer ................. 72
Safeguarding the Gawhar Shad Mausoleum – The Conservation
Chapter 2: Archaeological Excavations and Current Research – Histor- of a Timurid Monument in Herat, Tarcis Stevens ....................... 184
ic Missions and Recent Discoveries .................................... 79
Rehabilitating Babur’s Gardens and its Surrounding Environ-
The Italian Archaeological Mission in Afghanistan, Anna Filigenzi ment, Aga Khan Trust for Culture ............................................. 194
and Roberta Giunta .................................................................. 80
The Herat Old City Area Development Programme – Public, Re-
Ancient Herat and its Cultural Heritage, New Evidence from Re- ligious and Residential Buildings in the Historic Quarters, Aga
cent Research, Ute Franke .................................................. 92 Khan Trust for Culture ............................................................. 206
8 Keeping History Alive Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Post-Confl ict Afghanistan 9
Contents:
Acknowledgments .................................................................... 6 A short history of nearly a century of scientifi c research in Af- Minarets and Mughal Gardens - Projects Undertaken & Support-
ghanistan (1922-2015), Julio Bendezu-Sarmiento & Philippe ed by the Department for the Preservation of Historical Monu-
Foreword by H.E. Mohammad Ashraf Ghani President of the Marquis ..................................................................................... 104 ments, 2002 - 2012, Abdul Ahad Abassi ................................... 216
Islamic Republique of Afghanistan ............................................ 10
Recent Archaeological Discoveries at Mes Aynak, Logar Prov- Restoration of the Timur Shah Mausoleum, Kabul, Aga Khan
Foreword by Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO ........ 12 ince, Khair Mohammed Khairzada ........................................... 114 Trust for Culture ........................................................................ 222
Introduction by Brendan Cassar and Sara Noshadi ................. 14 Noh Gombadân Hâji Piyâda Mosque, an Architectural Chapter 5: The World Heritage Property of Bamiyan – Past Initiatives,
Chefd’oeuvre in Balkh Considered as a Potential World Heritage Current Research and Future Proposals in the ‘Valley of
U
Chapter 1: The Long-Term Protection of Afghanistan’s Cultural Prop- Cultural Landscape, Chahryar Adle .......................................... 120 A Thousand Caves’ ................................................................. 231
erty and Recent International Cooperation – The Status Quo
of the National Museum and Archive Services .................... 31 Chapter 3: The Nature, Role and Future of Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding the Buddha Statues in Bamiyan and the Sustain-
in Afghanistan ......................................................................... 135 able Protection of Afghan Cultural Heritage,
Safeguarding Culture to Build Peace: The Commitment of the Mounir Bouchenaki ................................................................... 232
Afghan Government & the Contribution of the International Com- A Policy Framework for the Rehabilitation of Cultural and Creative K
munity, Omar Sultan ................................................................. 32 Industries in Afghanistan, Aman Mojadidi ............................... 136 Preserving the Fragments of the Buddha’s of Bamiyan and their
Future Presentation, Michael Petzet ....................................... 238
The National Museum of Afghanistan: Poised for the Challenges dOCUMENTA (13) in Kabul, Bamiyan and Kassel, A Synergy of
of the Future, Nancy Hatch-Dupree ......................................... 34 Art and Politics, Abassin Nessar .............................................. 146 The Recent Discovery of Tang Dynasty Artefacts in Bamiyan, Af-
C ghanistan, Kusako Maeda ...................................................... 244
1919-2014 and Beyond, A Positive Outlook for the National Mu- Tales from the Valleys of the Wakhan and Kabul Old City: Folk-
seum of Afghanistan, Omra Khan Masoudi .............................. 42 lore and Memory as Intangible Cultural Heritage, Khadem Hus- The Islamic Shrines of Khoja Sabzposh: Conservation of a Living
sain and Andy Miller ................................................................ 154 Religious Monument in Bamiyan, Bert Praxenthaler ................ 250
Preserving Afghan Treasures and Building a National Identity:
A Strategy for the National Museum of Afghanistan, Chapter 4: Preservation of the Historic Built EnvironmenAt and Cultural
Robert Knox .............................................................................. 52 Landscapes - Recent Case Studies from the Provinces ..... 169
The Role of National and International Institutions in Addressing The Challenge of Safeguarding Afghanistan’s Urban Heritage,
the Illicit Traffi c of Cultural Property, René Teijgeler ................. 56 Jolyon Leslie ........................................................................... 170
Afghan Exhibitions, 2002–2012, Pierre Cambon ...................... 64 Architectural Conservation and Historical Monuments in Ghazni
Province - Highlights of the Ghaznavid Empire, Sayed Mayal Ma-
The National Archives of Afghanistan: Preserving Images, Litera- tahar .......................................................................................... 176
ture and Art for Future Generations, Sakhi Muneer ................. 72
Safeguarding the Gawhar Shad Mausoleum – The Conservation
Chapter 2: Archaeological Excavations and Current Research – Histor- of a Timurid Monument in Herat, Tarcis Stevens ....................... 184
ic Missions and Recent Discoveries .................................... 79
Rehabilitating Babur’s Gardens and its Surrounding Environ-
The Italian Archaeological Mission in Afghanistan, Anna Filigenzi ment, Aga Khan Trust for Culture ............................................. 194
and Roberta Giunta .................................................................. 80
The Herat Old City Area Development Programme – Public, Re-
Ancient Herat and its Cultural Heritage, New Evidence from Re- ligious and Residential Buildings in the Historic Quarters, Aga
cent Research, Ute Franke .................................................. 92 Khan Trust for Culture ............................................................. 206
8 Keeping History Alive Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Post-Confl ict Afghanistan 9
Foreword
Afghanistan’s Past in Afghanistan’s Present identities and histories and fused them into a common national purpose as equal contemporary under-standings of people’s perceptions of exclusion, hierarchy, and would both preserve heritage and reduce poverty.
citizens of a state bound together and governed by our constitution. expectations is still missing. Afghanistan badly needs an activist research program
It is often said that Afghanistan is an old country inhabited by a nation of young
that brings together archeology, folklore, anthropology, urbanism, and economic his- Nor should the economic potential of Afghan’s own rising interest in our history be
people. Over 60% of our population is under the age of 25, and since 2001 more than
Afghanistan’s cultural history has been to be both an originator and transmitter of tory in ways that abstract from daily practice the structural engagements of people’s underestimated. In 2014, the Aga Khan’s wonderful restoration of the Babur Gardens
seven million Afghans have graduated from high school, including more than three
Asia’s great intellectual traditions. As Fredrik Starr has so ably shown,” it was no encounters with the state and which can guide public policies in ways that build a received over one million paying visitors, making the garden fully self-sustaining. Re-
million young women. These graduates are entering a world that is dramatically dif-
accident that four of Islam’s fi ve great collections of hadith were compiled in Af- national sense of fair representation. stored monuments can be used to host weddings and other celebrations. Preserved
ferent from the Afghanistan of the past. Afghanistan today is a country where growing
ghanistan and Central Asia, where our traditions of long-distance trade and urban heritage can become the central place for stimulating broader urban development,
numbers of people surf the Internet, chat on cell-phones, and argue about current
events with friends across the region and the world. manufacturing prodUuced one of the world’s great centers of literacy and publishing. Where will our historical awakening take place? Today the institutional platforms that while national support for our creative industries can revitalize and inspire the pro-
Afghan scholars engaged with the scholars of India, Persia, China and even, as ar- are available for a national project of rebuilding a sense of citizenship are far more ducers of tradition.
cheology and historical analysis are increasingly showing, with the philos-ophers of diverse and accessible than ever before. Museums, television, classrooms, and the
And yet for all of its modernization, the Afghanistan that we live in today remains the
ancient Greece and Rome. Internet are all media of mass engagement that can spark interest in our youth and Fourth, combining the government’s interest in building a national sense of citizen-
product of a very long history. Afghanistan’s culture of modernity is the product of an
make the discovery of our past in our present a collective act of national recovery. ship with the Afghan public’s interest in modern media creates new opportunities to
ongoing, creative negotiation between the deep structures of the past with the lived
Despite Afghanistan’s long history as one of Asia’s intellectual and political hubs, use radio, television, and the internet to build a virtuous circle that moves from exca-
experience and perceptions of the present. K
by the beginning of the 20th century the dominant image of Afghanistan was that it Taking a programmatic approach to cultural policy vations and reconstruction to national programming and performance.
was an isolated and backward state inhabited by “fi erce tribesmen,” the perennial
Afghan culture is embedded in our associational life, our institutions, and the phys- To begin with, a national strategy for harnessing the power of culture to the project of
caricature of imperial literature that justifi ed military assaults to bring civilization to Conclusions
ical structures and places that we inhabit. Understanding the dynamic of cultural nation-building must recognize the individuals who are wiling to spend a lifetime de-
the barbarian frontier. The re-emergence of both China and India as the engines of
creation in Afghanistan matters because as a matter of urgency Afghanistan must ciphering potsherds, classifying coins, or digging through the remnants of an ancient Surveying the vast world of 14th century Islam, the great Muslim ethnologist Ibn Khal-
global growth means that the prospects for Afghanistan re-covering its historical role
build a collective national identity and sense of common purpose in our war-torCn city with a small brush and trowel. Without heroes such as Zamaryalai Tarzai who are dun wrote about the encounters between tribe and state that drove historical evolu-
as a central hub in an Asian civilizational and cultural dialogue have never been bet-
nation. The authors of this volume have made a valuable contribution to the people willing to do the detailed, painstaking work of scientifi cally and systematically building tion as cultures became differentiated, engaged, and overcome by new forms of
ter. The work of the archeologists, museum curators, linguists, and the others who
of Afghanistan through their documentation and analysis of the historical origins of up a picture of our past, cultural representations will be little more than the fanciful social organization.
have contributed to this volume is an act of historical redemption that peels away the
Afghanistan’s “imagined communities” and “communities of imagination” and their imaginings of politicians and ideologues. We must construct career paths ad train-
image of the “wild” Afghanistan to reveal the subtle and sophisticated culture that is
contribution to modern Asia. ing programs for young Afghans that can lead from university curricula to advanced In Afghanistan, a monument can never be just a monument. It is the history of our
Afghanistan’s true inheritance.
training, museum careers, and professional employment. people’s encounters with other people’s markets, states, technology, beliefs, and
A
Afghanistan’s archeology and reconstruction provide physical reminders that Af- knowledge. Afghan archeology, history, folklore and ethnography reveal the extent to
Nation Building and Cultural Policy
ghans have been participants in the construction of the states and empires that The second requirement is that public policy must replace its tendency to move in which we are all part of a long, lively conversation about what it means to be a citizen
shaped world history. The ancestors of today’s citizens of Mazar-e-Sharif built the Afghanistan today is at a critical historical juncture. Vast amounts of international and sporadic fi ts and starts with a system of cultural support that can provide long-term of Afghanistan today.
city of Balkh, a city that was already old when Herodotus called it the mother of all national resources are being devoted to building the machinery of an effective state continuity. To date the only clear thinker in this area has been Nancy Dupree, rep-
cities. Herat was the center of the Timurids; Kandahar of the Durranis; Ghazni of the and competitive markets. But little thought and few resources are being given to the resented in this volume, who for years has been advocating for a national council The articles in this volume provide a subtle, textured picture of Afghanistan’s cultural
Ghaznavids; Ghur of the Ghurid empire; Bagram and Paghman were centres of the equally critical task of rebuilding a sense of nationhood and shared identity. on cultural creativity to provide a mechanism to guide public policy and investment. diversity and historical legacy. But they are only a fi rst tasting of the riches that await
Kushan and Bactrian empires; there is not a province or city that has not functioned Providing a forum that can bring together government policy makers, national and discovery. The beauty of the articles and commentaries that have been collected
as center of a local dynasty or site of a political entity. The names barely need elabo- Afghanistan’s unity has always come from its diversity. But over fi ve decades of con- international thinkers, respected leaders, and civil society organizations can help us here is the awareness that, as William Faulkner wrote, not only is the past never
ration to make the point that we, Afghans, today live in a country that made history fl ict, Afghanistan’s subordinate identities of ethnicity, language, or religion have be- move beyond sporadic and individual initiatives into a long-term program that en- dead, but it is never even past. Afghanistan’s past is everywhere in its present. Our
happen. come claims for privilege rather than the basis for exchanges that enrich and deepen courages dialogue, directs policy, and channels support in a coherent and structured challenge today is to make our past guide the way to a democratic, peaceful and
each side’s natural advantages. Reversing that dynamic will mean a national policy- way. tolerant Afghanistan.
“Whatever we were before the Holy Religion of Islam”, argued Mahmud Tariz, the based approach to culture that recognizes that each of Afghanistan’s eight major
founder of discourse and practice of modernity in Afghanistan, “we were”. He was language groups brings whole networks of connections and resources to bear on the The third requirement is to think about culture as an economic resource, not just as
stating the central social fact of our existence: we defi ne ourselves from the cradle to nation-building project. These capabilities now need to be nurtured in a way that lets her-itage. Once the security situation improves, Afghanistan’s potential as a center
grave by Islam and the warp and woof of our identity is defi ned by Islamic discourse the overarching aspirational goal of shared Afghan citizenship set the terms through for tourism is large, even more so as neighboring countries such as India and China
and practice. While the social fact is crystal clear, the historical process in making which public policy ensures people’s sense of fair treatment and equal opportunity. build up a curious middle class that has the means and interest to explore a region
Islam our dominant cultural point of reference requires sustained inquiry. Equally that has played such an important role in their own development. Public policy can H.E. Mohammadd AAshhhhhraff GGhhanii
important is the process of formation of our national identity, the pre-eminent sense If the historical and political framework for guiding Afghanistan’s nation-building help our artisans who produce such beautiful jewelry, pottery, carpets and other cul- President of the Islamic Republique of Afghanistan
of “being” Afghan as forged from the different historical moments that took our local project is clear, the anthropological and ethnographic research that would build up tural productions identify markets and increase their access to value chains that
10 Keeping History Alive Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Post-Confl ict Afghanistan 11
Foreword
Afghanistan’s Past in Afghanistan’s Present identities and histories and fused them into a common national purpose as equal contemporary under-standings of people’s perceptions of exclusion, hierarchy, and would both preserve heritage and reduce poverty.
citizens of a state bound together and governed by our constitution. expectations is still missing. Afghanistan badly needs an activist research program
It is often said that Afghanistan is an old country inhabited by a nation of young
that brings together archeology, folklore, anthropology, urbanism, and economic his- Nor should the economic potential of Afghan’s own rising interest in our history be
people. Over 60% of our population is under the age of 25, and since 2001 more than
Afghanistan’s cultural history has been to be both an originator and transmitter of tory in ways that abstract from daily practice the structural engagements of people’s underestimated. In 2014, the Aga Khan’s wonderful restoration of the Babur Gardens
seven million Afghans have graduated from high school, including more than three
Asia’s great intellectual traditions. As Fredrik Starr has so ably shown,” it was no encounters with the state and which can guide public policies in ways that build a received over one million paying visitors, making the garden fully self-sustaining. Re-
million young women. These graduates are entering a world that is dramatically dif-
accident that four of Islam’s fi ve great collections of hadith were compiled in Af- national sense of fair representation. stored monuments can be used to host weddings and other celebrations. Preserved
ferent from the Afghanistan of the past. Afghanistan today is a country where growing
ghanistan and Central Asia, where our traditions of long-distance trade and urban heritage can become the central place for stimulating broader urban development,
numbers of people surf the Internet, chat on cell-phones, and argue about current
events with friends across the region and the world. manufacturing produced one of the world’s great centers of literacy and publishing. Where will our historical awakening take place? Today the institutional platforms that while national suUpport for our creative industries can revitalize and inspire the pro-
Afghan scholars engaged with the scholars of India, Persia, China and even, as ar- are available for a national project of rebuilding a sense of citizenship are far more ducers of tradition.
cheology and historical analysis are increasingly showing, with the philos-ophers of diverse and accessible than ever before. Museums, television, classrooms, and the
And yet for all of its modernization, the Afghanistan that we live in today remains the
ancient Greece and Rome. Internet are all media of mass engagement that can spark interest in our youth and Fourth, combining the government’s interest in building a national sense of citizen-
product of a very long history. Afghanistan’s culture of modernity is the product of an
make the discovery of our past in our present a collective act of national recovery. ship with the Afghan public’s interest in modern media creates new opportunities to
ongoing, creative negotiation between the deep structures of the past with the lived
Despite Afghanistan’s long history as one of Asia’s intellectual and political hubs, use radio, television, and the internet to build a virtuous circle that moves from exca-
experience and perceptions of the present. K
by the beginning of the 20th century the dominant image of Afghanistan was that it Taking a programmatic approach to cultural policy vations and reconstruction to national programming and performance.
was an isolated and backward state inhabited by “fi erce tribesmen,” the perennial
Afghan culture is embedded in our associational life, our institutions, and the phys- To begin with, a national strategy for harnessing the power of culture to the project of
caricature of imperial literature that justifi ed military assaults to bring civilization to Conclusions
ical structures and places that we inhabit. Understanding the dynamic of cultural nation-building must recognize the individuals who are wiling to spend a lifetime de-
the barbarian frontier. The re-emergence of both China and India as the engines of
creation in Afghanistan matters because as a matter of urgency Afghanistan must ciphering potsherds, classifying coins, or digging through the remnants of an ancient Surveying the vast world of 14th century Islam, the great Muslim ethnologist Ibn Khal-
global growth means that the prospects for Afghanistan re-covering its historical role
build a collective national identity and sense of common purpose in our war-torn city with a small brush and trowel. Without heroes such as Zamaryalai Tarzai whoC are dun wrote about the encounters between tribe and state that drove historical evolu-
as a central hub in an Asian civilizational and cultural dialogue have never been bet-
nation. The authors of this volume have made a valuable contribution to the people willing to do the detailed, painstaking work of scientifi cally and systematically building tion as cultures became differentiated, engaged, and overcome by new forms of
ter. The work of the archeologists, museum curators, linguists, and the others who
of Afghanistan through their documentation and analysis of the historical origins of up a picture of our past, cultural representations will be little more than the fanciful social organization.
have contributed to this volume is an act of historical redemption that peels away the
Afghanistan’s “imagined communities” and “communities of imagination” and their imaginings of politicians and ideologues. We must construct career paths ad train-
image of the “wild” Afghanistan to reveal the subtle and sophisticated culture that is
contribution to modern Asia. ing programs for young Afghans that can lead from university curricula to advanced In Afghanistan, a monument can never be just a monument. It is the history of our
Afghanistan’s true inheritance.
training, museum careers, and professional employment. people’s encounters with other people’s markets, states, technology, beliefs, and
A
Afghanistan’s archeology and reconstruction provide physical reminders that Af- knowledge. Afghan archeology, history, folklore and ethnography reveal the extent to
Nation Building and Cultural Policy
ghans have been participants in the construction of the states and empires that The second requirement is that public policy must replace its tendency to move in which we are all part of a long, lively conversation about what it means to be a citizen
shaped world history. The ancestors of today’s citizens of Mazar-e-Sharif built the Afghanistan today is at a critical historical juncture. Vast amounts of international and sporadic fi ts and starts with a system of cultural support that can provide long-term of Afghanistan today.
city of Balkh, a city that was already old when Herodotus called it the mother of all national resources are being devoted to building the machinery of an effective state continuity. To date the only clear thinker in this area has been Nancy Dupree, rep-
cities. Herat was the center of the Timurids; Kandahar of the Durranis; Ghazni of the and competitive markets. But little thought and few resources are being given to the resented in this volume, who for years has been advocating for a national council The articles in this volume provide a subtle, textured picture of Afghanistan’s cultural
Ghaznavids; Ghur of the Ghurid empire; Bagram and Paghman were centres of the equally critical task of rebuilding a sense of nationhood and shared identity. on cultural creativity to provide a mechanism to guide public policy and investment. diversity and historical legacy. But they are only a fi rst tasting of the riches that await
Kushan and Bactrian empires; there is not a province or city that has not functioned Providing a forum that can bring together government policy makers, national and discovery. The beauty of the articles and commentaries that have been collected
as center of a local dynasty or site of a political entity. The names barely need elabo- Afghanistan’s unity has always come from its diversity. But over fi ve decades of con- international thinkers, respected leaders, and civil society organizations can help us here is the awareness that, as William Faulkner wrote, not only is the past never
ration to make the point that we, Afghans, today live in a country that made history fl ict, Afghanistan’s subordinate identities of ethnicity, language, or religion have be- move beyond sporadic and individual initiatives into a long-term program that en- dead, but it is never even past. Afghanistan’s past is everywhere in its present. Our
happen. come claims for privilege rather than the basis for exchanges that enrich and deepen courages dialogue, directs policy, and channels support in a coherent and structured challenge today is to make our past guide the way to a democratic, peaceful and
each side’s natural advantages. Reversing that dynamic will mean a national policy- way. tolerant Afghanistan.
“Whatever we were before the Holy Religion of Islam”, argued Mahmud Tariz, the based approach to culture that recognizes that each of Afghanistan’s eight major
founder of discourse and practice of modernity in Afghanistan, “we were”. He was language groups brings whole networks of connections and resources to bear on the The third requirement is to think about culture as an economic resource, not just as
stating the central social fact of our existence: we defi ne ourselves from the cradle to nation-building project. These capabilities now need to be nurtured in a way that lets her-itage. Once the security situation improves, Afghanistan’s potential as a center
grave by Islam and the warp and woof of our identity is defi ned by Islamic discourse the overarching aspirational goal of shared Afghan citizenship set the terms through for tourism is large, even more so as neighboring countries such as India and China
and practice. While the social fact is crystal clear, the historical process in making which public policy ensures people’s sense of fair treatment and equal opportunity. build up a curious middle class that has the means and interest to explore a region
Islam our dominant cultural point of reference requires sustained inquiry. Equally that has played such an important role in their own development. Public policy can H.E. Mohammadd AAshhhhhraff GGhhanii
important is the process of formation of our national identity, the pre-eminent sense If the historical and political framework for guiding Afghanistan’s nation-building help our artisans who produce such beautiful jewelry, pottery, carpets and other cul- President of the Islamic Republique of Afghanistan
of “being” Afghan as forged from the different historical moments that took our local project is clear, the anthropological and ethnographic research that would build up tural productions identify markets and increase their access to value chains that
10 Keeping History Alive Safeguarding Cultural Heritage in Post-Confl ict Afghanistan 11