Afghanistan's Cultural Treasures after the War

"The United States, China, Japan, India, Pakistan, parts of Europe. We got news that the Metropolitan Museum of Art has artifacts, so we kept writing them and they didn't respond. One day, they finally told us they have it, and that they will hold it until Afghanistan is a free state and a museum is established. This Afghan gentleman and my mom were trying to establish an Afghan Museum. The Pacific-Asian Museum is helping out…"

Seventy-five percent of the Kabul Museum's relics were looted during the twenty years of war. The rest would be destroyed later. After Dr. Mustamandy passed, his wife Mehria Rafiq Mustamandy took over the struggle for the preservation of Afghanistan's cultural treasures.

The plunder of Afghanistan's treasures went unnoticed in the time when the Mujahidin took Kabul and established a governance led by Burhanuddin Rabbani and Ahmed Shah Massoud. Although this government seeked just democracy, factions within the regime had different ideas. Killing persisted, as did countless lootings.

Out of this chaos sprang the Taliban, who in 1996 brought uneasy peace to Afghanistan, and sent Rabbani and Massoud back to the northern provinces. The Taliban's ways; skinning people alive, burying them alive, shooting women in the back of the head, banning education, offering whippings for beard-shavings and the like brought an attractive 'calm' to a war-ravaged country, according to Afghan sources.

Gandharan Statue-head

Pakistani conservatives raised an eyebrow to all of this, with their interest in creating the same kind of pure Muslim state which they dreamed for themselves when given independence from the British in 1948. They issued their secret service to support and train the Taliban. Osama bin Laden, who was helping to support purist Muslim states out of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, the Philippines, Sudan and other countries, built an army of 15,000 Pakistani secret service agents, sometimes called the 'ISI'. The ISI trained young Pashtuns in the way of the Taliban.

About the Site about home The Notes from the Road story, about Erik Gauger, his equipment and approach. along the way Photos I took along the way, and just had to show you. Worthwhile Sites A list of travel websites, science websites, outdoor websites, adventure websites, art and photography websites that have maintained an independent and unique spirit. Reviews Reviews, press clippings, criticism and more of Notes from the Road. Lost Sons of Afghanistan The first of two articles I wrote in the San Fernando Valley in 2001. a museum for kabul The follow-up to A Museum for Kabul. Birds A collection of birds I have identified while on the road. I always keep an eye out for new birds and this is one of the greatest pleasures of travel. Count: 351 Fishes A collection of fish species I've counted in the wild over the course of my life. Count: 141 Mammals A collection of every mammal I have positively identified over the course of my life. Count: 53 Reptiles & Amphibians A collection of reptiles and amphibians I have managed to identify positively. Count: 39 Seashore Creatures Tidepooling and snorkeling is one of the greatest joys of independent travel. This is my collection of seashore creatures I have identified during my Notes from the Road years. Count: 65