Culture of Afghanistan

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Elements of Afghan culture including: tabla and harmonium musical instruments, an GhaderKooni, teapot, and sheer pira dessert Afghanese diasporic musician (tabla and harmonium).jpg
Elements of Afghan culture including: tabla and harmonium musical instruments, an GhaderKooni, teapot, and sheer pira dessert

The culture of Afghanistan [1] [2] has persisted for centuries [3] and encompasses the cultural diversity of the nation. Afghanistan's culture is historically strongly connected to nearby Persia, including the same religion, as the people of both countries have lived together for thousands of years. Its location at the crossroads of Central, South and Western Asia historically made it a hub of diversity, dubbed by one historian as the "roundabout of the ancient world". [4]

Contents

Afghanistan is a mostly tribal society with different regions of the country having their own subculture. Despite this, nearly all Afghans follow Islamic traditions, celebrate the same holidays, dress the same, consume the same food, listen to the same music and use Persian as the inter-ethnic lingua franca to a certain extent. Its culture is strongly tied with elements of Central Asia, [5] [6] which can be seen in the likes of language, cuisine and classical music.

Afghan culture is increasingly becoming a dynamic realm of academic study in scholarly terms. [7] In more recent history, Afghan culture has been threatened and fragmented due to the prolonged conflict in the country. [8] [9]

History

Music and dance

Afghan musicians in Farah, Afghanistan. Afghan musicians in Farah.jpg
Afghan musicians in Farah, Afghanistan.

Traditionally, only men have been involved in theater acting. Recently, in theater arts, women have begun to take center stage. [10]

Since the 1980s, the nation has witnessed several wars so music has been suppressed and recording for outsiders minimal. During the 1990s, the Taliban government banned instrumental music and much public music-making. Many musicians and singers continued to play their trade in the cities of other countries. Pakistani cities such as Peshawar, Karachi and Islamabad are important centers for the distribution of Afghan music. Kabul has long been the regional cultural capital, but outsiders have tended to focus on the cities of Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif with its Qataghani style. Lyrics across the country are typically in both Dari-Persian and Pashto, Uzbeki, Hazaragi, Hindi, and western style songs and music are also very popular in Afghanistan. [11]

Women dancing in traditional dress in San Francisco Afghanese women traditional dress and dance.jpg
Women dancing in traditional dress in San Francisco

Afghans enjoy music by playing many types of instruments. They also enjoy performing the Attan, which is considered the national dance of Afghanistan. What is typically heard in the country are folk songs or ballads. Many of the songs are known by almost everyone and have been around for many years. The main traditional Afghan music instruments include:

Language and literature

Dari and Pashto are both the official languages of Afghanistan, [2] although Dari (Afghan Persian) serves as the lingua franca for the majority. People in the northern and central areas of the country usually speak Persian/Dari, while those living in the south and east speak Pashto. Afghans living in the western regions of Afghanistan speak both Dari and Pashto. Most citizens are fluent in both languages, especially those living in major cities where the population is multi-ethnic. Several other languages are spoken in their own regions, which includes Uzbek, Turkmen and Balochi. [2] English is gradually becoming popular among the young generation. There are smaller number of Afghans who can understand Russian, mainly among the northern Tajik, Uzbek and Turkmen groups.

Poetry

Poetry in Afghanistan has long been a cultural tradition and passion. It is mainly in Persian/Dari and Pashto languages, although in modern times it is also becoming more recognized in Afghanistan's other languages. Classic Persian and Pashto poetry plays an important role in the Afghan culture. Poetry has always been one of the major educational pillars in the region, to the level that it has integrated itself into culture. Some notable poets include Khushal Khan Khattak, Rahman Baba, Massoud Nawabi, Nazo Tokhi, Ahmad Shah Durrani, and Ghulam Muhammad Tarzi. [13] Some of the famous Persian-language poets and authors from the 10th to 15th centuries are Rumi, Rabi'a Balkhi, Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, Jami, Alisher Navoi, Sanai, Abu Mansur Daqiqi, Farrukhi Sistani, Unsuri, and Anvari. Contemporary Persian language poets and writers include Khalilullah Khalili [14] and Sufi Ashqari. [15]

Proverbs

Afghans prize wit and cleverness in speech. "Zarbul Masalha" (pronounced zar-bull mah-sal-HAA) means "proverbs" in Dari, and these zarbul masalha deeply reflect Afghan culture. U.S. Navy Captain Edward Zellem pioneered the use of Afghan proverbs as a positive relationship-building tool during the war in Afghanistan, and in 2012 he published two bilingual collections of Afghan proverbs in Dari and English. [16] [17]

Naming customs and honorifics

Pet keeping

Songbirds in cages at a farm in Nangarhar Province, used for the pleasure of the site's farmers Song Birds (5397909903).jpg
Songbirds in cages at a farm in Nangarhar Province, used for the pleasure of the site's farmers

Birds are the most popular animals that are kept as pets in Afghanistan. In Kabul there is a dedicated daily market selling a wide variety of birds from around the world. [18]

Architecture

Herat Citadel in the western Afghan city of Herat View of Herat Citadel from atop the premises.jpg
Herat Citadel in the western Afghan city of Herat

The important architectural sites are found in Herat, Mazar-I-Sharif, Ghazni, [19] Qandahar, and Firuzkoh in Ghor Province. The region has made major contributions to the world's architecture. UNESCO has acknowledged Afghanistan's role by declaring the Minaret of Jam and the Buddhas of Bamiyan destroyed in 2001, World Heritage Sites.

Housing

Houses in rural Afghanistan historically have been made of mudbricks and mud, and have a series of rooms located around a private rectangular courtyard where women and children can move around without being seen by the public. In recent years, however, Afghans living in rural areas began building their homes using cement and bricks, similar as those built in the big cities. [20] In the north and west they are typically in fortified villages called qalahs ("fortresses"), whereas in the mountainous northern and eastern regions they differ, for example wooden multistoried dwellings in Nuristan. [21]

Married sons often share houses with their parents, but with separate quarters. Afghan houses contain a special room where men socialize with each other known as a hujra. In the major cities, many Afghans live in modern houses or apartments. The nomadic kuchi people live in large tents because they are constantly on the move from one part of the country to another. [22] The nomads of Turkic or Mongol origin in the north tend to live in yurts. [21]

Art, weaving, ceramics

Women painting at the Center for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan (CCAA) in Kabul. Center for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan in 2010.jpg
Women painting at the Center for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan (CCAA) in Kabul.

The lands of Afghanistan have a long history of art, with the world's earliest known usage of Buddha's oil painting found in cave murals in the country. [23] [24] Buddha is from Bihar, Indian. this is drying oil technique used by Indians. [25] Afghan art includes Persian miniature style, with Kamaleddin Behzad of Herat being one of the most notable miniature artists of the Timurid and early Safavid periods. Since the 1900s, the nation began to use Western techniques in art. Abdul Ghafoor Breshna was a prominent Afghan painter and sketch artist from Kabul during the 20th century.

Afghanistan's art was originally almost entirely done by men, but recently women are entering the arts programs at Kabul University. Art is largely centered at the National Museum of Afghanistan, the National Gallery of Afghanistan and the National Archives of Afghanistan in Kabul. There are a number of art schools in the country. The Center for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan (CCAA) in Kabul provides young people to learn contemporary paintings.

Ceramics and pottery, of which many tend to be turquoise-colored, are produced in Afghanistan, most famously in the village of Istalif. [26]

The art of making carpets has been prominent for centuries. Afghanistan is known for making beautiful oriental rugs. The Afghan carpet has certain prints that make them unique to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is known for its production of Afghan rugs, traditionally handwoven using a number of well-known and highly-prized patterns.

Cuisine

Typical Afghan food table US Army (USA) Colonel (COL) Kevin McDonnell (background center), Commander, 1ST Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (SFG) and Afghanistan National Army (ANA) COL Nahji Bulla (to COL McDonnells right) were special guest at a lunch.jpg
Typical Afghan food table

Afghanistan has a wide varying landscape allowing for many different crops. Afghan cuisine is based on cereals like wheat, maize, barley and rice, which are the nation's chief crops. Afghans do not eat spicy food like the neighboring Pakistanis. Fresh and dried fruits is the most important part of Afghan diet. Afghanistan is well known for its fine fruits, especially pomegranates, grapes, and its extra-sweet jumbo-size melons.

Some of the popular Afghan dishes, from left to right: 1. Lamb grilled kebab (seekh kabab); 2. Palao and salad; 3. Tandoori chicken; and 4. Mantu (dumplings). The Afghan cuisine includes a blend of Central Asian, Eastern Asian, South Asian and the Middle Eastern cuisines. Nearly all Afghan dishes are non-spicy. Afghan cuisine.jpg
Some of the popular Afghan dishes, from left to right: 1. Lamb grilled kebab (seekh kabab); 2. Palao and salad; 3. Tandoori chicken; and 4. Mantu (dumplings). The Afghan cuisine includes a blend of Central Asian, Eastern Asian, South Asian and the Middle Eastern cuisines. Nearly all Afghan dishes are non-spicy.

Dress and attire

Afghan traditional dress typically covers the entire body with a loose top and a form of head covering. The dresses are very colorful, especially women's. [27] [28]

Sport

Players in a game of buzkashi, the national sport Buzkashi (5458285907).jpg
Players in a game of buzkashi, the national sport

The sports in Afghanistan are organized by the Afghan Sports Federation, which promotes football, cricket, basketball, volleyball, golf, handball, boxing, taekwondo, track and field, bowling, skating [29] and several others. [30]

Football remains to be the most popular sport across Afghanistan.The Afghanistan national football team was founded in 1922, joined FIFA in 1948 and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 1954. Although it did not play in any international games from 1984 to 2003 due to the war, it is now striving and hoping to make it to FIFA. The Afghanistan women's national football team was formed in 2007. The Ghazi Stadium, which was built during the reign of King Amanullah Khan, was once used for a venue for public executions by the Taliban government. The stadium is currently used mostly for football matches between teams from different provinces of the country as well as neighboring countries. Basketball has existed in Afghanistan since at least the 1970s, and is slowly becoming popular again. It is played by both Afghan men and women. Additionally, Afghans in the north of the country enjoy the sport of buzkashi.

Cricket has become popular in recent years in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan national cricket team, which was formed in 1996 during Taliban regime, has held matches against all other international cricket teams since 2001. The Afghan team rapidly rose through the World Cricket League since early 2008. It participated in the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier, 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division One, and 2010 ICC World Twenty20 where they played India and South Africa. The team won four times in a row, the ACC Twenty20 Cup in 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2013. It played against top ranking teams in the 2012 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup and the 2012 ICC World Twenty20. ts, Afghans usually play with challengers of neighboring states and sometimes with other Asian countries.

Religion

An Afghan man with a tasbih Afghan man holding a tasbih, with a cat.jpg
An Afghan man with a tasbih

Islam is the main religion of Afghanistan and over 99.7% [31] of Afghans are Muslims. An estimated 84.7–90% of the population adhere to Sunni Islam, while an estimated 7–15% practice Shia Islam, and approximately 1% are followers of other religions, [31] [32] most prominently Sikhism. [33] In pre-Islamic era, Zoroastrianism and Hinduism and Buddhism had a strong presence in Afghanistan; in addition, Judaism and Christianity have also had a presence in Afghanistan for over a millennia. [34] [35]

Education

Education in Afghanistan includes K-12 and higher education, which is supervised by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education in Kabul, Afghanistan. There are about 10,000 schools of which 4,000 were built in the last decade. More than 100,000 teachers were trained and recruited in the same period. [36] It was reported in 2011 that more than seven million male and female students were enrolled in schools. [36] Some of the well known schools in Kabul are Habibia High School, Lycée Esteqlal, Amani High School, Aisha-i-Durani School, Ghazi High School and Rahman Baba High School. The Ahmad Shah Baba High School and Zarghuna Anna High School are two of the oldest schools in Kandahar.

Since the country has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world, the United States began establishing a number of Lincoln learning centers to help with this problem and promote American culture in Afghanistan. They are set up to serve as programming platforms offering English language classes, library facilities, programming venues, Internet connectivity, educational and other counseling services. A goal of the program is to reach at least 4,000 Afghan citizens per month per location. [37] [38] The military and national police are now provided with mandatory literacy courses. [39] In addition to this, Baghch-e-Simsim (based on the American Sesame Street) was launched in late 2011 to help Afghan children learn from preschool onward. Programs in the show "will be partly filmed in Afghanistan with the rest" lifted from other versions in Muslim countries including Egypt and Bangladesh, as well as Mexico and Russia. [40] [41]

Higher education is provided by various universities throughout the country, which include the American University of Afghanistan, Kabul University, Polytechnical University of Kabul, Herat University, Balkh University, Nangarhar University, Kandahar University, Khost University, Bakhtar University, and a heap of others. There is also one military college, located in Kabul. Recently with help from UNESCO, over 1,000 women have taken the university entrance exam. As of 2011, about 62,000 students are enrolled in different universities around the country. [36]

Games

An Afghan boy with a kite Afghan boy with kite.jpg
An Afghan boy with a kite

Kites and "kite fighting" are highly popular in Afghanistan especially amongst children.

Holidays

President Hamid Karzai observing the honor guard of the Afghan armed forces during the 2011 Afghan Independence Day. 2011 Afghan Independence Day.jpg
President Hamid Karzai observing the honor guard of the Afghan armed forces during the 2011 Afghan Independence Day.

Religious

Afghanistan's religious holidays are nearly the same as Islamic holidays. Some of the most important include Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan), Eid al-Adha, Ashura, and Mawlid, while the religious minorities of Afghanistan celebrate holidays unique to their respective religion. [42]

Traditional

Farmer's Day, also known as Nauruz (Nowruz), is an ancient annual Afghan festival which celebrates both the beginning of spring and the New Year. The observances usually last two weeks, culminating on the first day of the Afghan New Year, March 21, and corresponds to the first day of the Persian Calendar. [43]

Nauruz is related to a religion called Zoroastrianism which was in practice in ancient Persia before the emergence of Islam. This festival is to celebrate the arrival of spring as plants, trees, and flowers start to bloom making the weather pleasant. On the day of Nauruz, families usually celebrate the festival by cooking food and going out for a picnic. Families cook various kinds of meals, Samanak, and Haft-mewah or dry fruits that start with the letter (س) or (S) which represents the arrival of spring season. Haft-mewah contains seven dry fruits which families place in warm water two to three days before Nauruz. Samanak is another type of dessert made from wheat and sugar. Women usually get together days before Nauruz to prepare Samanak. They pour the ingredients into a big pot placed on an open fire and take turns to stir the wheat and sugar in the pot before it turns into a thick paste. Once prepared, the dessert is then served on the day of Nauruz. [44]

National

Other

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghanistan</span> Country in Central Asia

Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, Tajikistan to the northeast, and China to the northeast and east. Occupying 652,864 square kilometers (252,072 sq mi) of land, the country is predominantly mountainous with plains in the north and the southwest, which are separated by the Hindu Kush mountain range. Kabul is the country's capital and largest city. According to the World Population review, as of 2023, Afghanistan's population is 43 million. The National Statistics Information Authority of Afghanistan estimated the population to be 32.9 million as of 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herat</span> City in Herat Province, Afghanistan

Herāt is an oasis city and the third-largest city in Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains in the fertile valley of the Hari River in the western part of the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dari</span> Variety of the Persian language spoken in Afghanistan

Dari, Dari Persian, or Eastern Persian is the variety of the Persian language spoken in Afghanistan. Dari Persian is the Afghan government's official term for the Persian language; it is known as Afghan Persian or Eastern Persian in many Western sources. The decision to rename the local variety of Persian in 1964 was more political than linguistic to support an Afghan state narrative. Dari Persian is most closely related to Tajiki Persian as spoken in Tajikistan and the two share many phonological and lexical similarities. Apart from a few basics of vocabulary, there is little difference between formal written Persian of Afghanistan and Iran; the languages are mutually intelligible. Dari Persian is the official language for approximately 35 million people in Afghanistan and it serves as the common language for inter-ethnic communication in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Afghanistan</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pashto</span> Eastern Iranian language of Afghanistan and Pakistan

Pashto is an Eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family, natively spoken in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan. It has official status in Afghanistan and the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is known in historical Persian literature as Afghani.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Afghanistan</span>

The music of Afghanistan comprises many varieties of classical music, folk music, and modern popular music. Afghanistan has a rich musical heritage and features a mix of Persian melodies, Indian compositional principles, and sounds from ethnic groups such as the Pashtuns, Tajiks and Hazaras. Instruments used range from Indian tablas to long-necked lutes. Afghanistan's classical music is closely related to Hindustani classical music while sourcing much of its lyrics directly from classical Persian poetry such as Mawlana Balkhi (Rumi) and the Iranian tradition indigenous to central Asia. Lyrics throughout most of Afghanistan are typically in Dari (Persian) and Pashto. The multi-ethnic city of Kabul has long been the regional cultural capital, but outsiders have tended to focus on the city of Herat, which is home to traditions more closely related to Iranian music than in the rest of the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herat Province</span> Province of Afghanistan

Herat is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the western part of the country. Together with Badghis, Farah, and Ghor provinces, it makes up the north-western region of Afghanistan. Its primary city and administrative capital is Herat City. The province of Herat is divided into about 17 districts and contains over 2,000 villages. It has a population of about 3,780,000, making it the second most populated province in Afghanistan behind Kabul Province. The population is multi-ethnic but largely Persian-speaking. Herat dates back to the Avestan times and was traditionally known for its wine. The city has a number of historic sites, including the Herat Citadel and the Musalla Complex. During the Middle Ages Herat became one of the important cities of Khorasan, as it was known as the Pearl of Khorasan.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farsiwan</span> Name of Persian speakers, esp. in Afghanistan

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">TOLO (TV channel)</span> Commercial television station in Afghanistan

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Languages of Afghanistan</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ariana Television Network</span> Television channel

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Arabs in Afghanistan</span> Overview of pre-1970s Arab people in the Central Asian country

The history of Arabs in Afghanistan spans over one millennium since the 7th century. Most of the early Arabs gradually lost their Arabic hegemony and ultimately mixed with the local population, though they are still considered a cognizably distinct ethnic group according to the Constitution of Afghanistan. Afghans who carry Sayed or Quraishi in their names usually claim Arab ancestry.

The mass media in Afghanistan is monitored by the Ministry of Information and Culture (MoIC), and includes broadcasting, digital and printing. It is mainly in Dari and Pashto, the official languages of the nation. It was reported in 2019 that Afghanistan had over 107 TV stations and 284 radio stations, including 100s of print media and over 1,800 online media outlets. After the return of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) in 2021, there was a concern that the mass media will significantly decrease in the country. The number of digital media outlets is steadily increasing with the help of Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, and other such online platforms. IEA's spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid suggested that the media should be in line with Sharia and national interests.

The International Assistance Mission (IAM) is the longest continually serving non-profit organisation in Afghanistan. They are a well-respected NGO working to improve lives and build local capacity in health, development and education. They are a partnership between the people of Afghanistan and international Christian volunteers, who have been working together since 1966. IAM is registered in Geneva, Switzerland, and is the longest continuously serving NGO in Afghanistan, and only works in Afghanistan.

Edward Zellem is a retired U.S. Navy captain and the 12-time award-winning author of 5 books. He is known for his work inside Afghanistan's Presidential Palace and for authoring three bilingual collections of Afghan Proverbs: Zarbul Masalha: 151 Afghan Dari Proverbs, a book for children entitled Afghan Proverbs Illustrated, and a companion book of Pashto proverbs entitled Mataluna: 151 Afghan Pashto Proverbs. Zellem wrote the books to "show how Afghan proverbs demonstrate our common humanity and the humanity of Afghans, and to share the proverbs' lyricism, richness and deep meanings with the rest of the world". He is a member of the International Association of Paremiology (AIP-IAP), which is based in Tavira, Portugal. It is a nonprofit cultural institution dedicated to the international scientific study of proverbs, and is the only association of its type in the world. He also is an active professional scuba diving instructor with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), and holds the PADI rating of Master Instructor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghan proverbs</span>

Across Afghanistan, proverbs are a valued part of speaking, both publicly and in conversations. Afghans "use proverbs in their daily conversations far more than Westerners do, and with greater effect". The most extensive proverb collections in Afghan languages are in Pashto and Dari, the two official languages in Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghan literature</span>

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References

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  35. ↑ Shaheed, Anisa (May 30, 2018). "Afghanistan's Only Jew 'Worried' About The Country's Future". Tolo News . Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  36. 1 2 3 "Education". United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Archived from the original on September 2, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  37. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 28, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  38. ↑ "Ghazni governor signs memorandum for Lincoln Learning Center".
  39. ↑ "Rising literacy in Afghanistan ensures transition". June 14, 2011.
  40. ↑ Farmer, Ben (November 30, 2011). "Sesame Street to be broadcast in Afghanistan". Kabul: The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  41. ↑ DeMott, Rick (December 1, 2011). "Sesame Street To Debut In Afghanistan". AWN News. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  42. ↑ "Afghanistan Online: Culture - Important holidays/occasions/festivities celebrated in Afghanistan". Archived from the original on March 7, 2005. Retrieved May 24, 2005.
  43. ↑ Lt. j.g. Keith Goodsell (March 7, 2011). "Key Afghan, US leadership plant trees for Farmer's Day". United States Central Command. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021.
  44. ↑ "An Introduction to Afghanistan Culture" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 15, 2017.

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