Culture of Afghanistan

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

The culture of Afghanistan [1] [2] has persisted for over three millennia, tracing record to at least the time of the Achaemenid Empire in 500 BCE, [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 are multi-lingual to a certain extent. Its culture is strongly tied with elements of Turko-Persian and Indo-Persian cultures, [5] [6] which can be seen in the likes of language, cuisine or 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 oil painting found in cave murals in the country. [23] [24] 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. [25]

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. [26] [27]

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 [28] and several others. [29]

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% [30] 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, [30] [31] most prominently Sikhism. [32] In pre-Islamic era, Zoroastrianism and Buddhism and Hinduism had a strong presence in Afghanistan; in addition, Judaism and Christianity have also had a presence in Afghanistan for over a millennia. [33] [34]

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. [35] It was reported in 2011 that more than seven million male and female students were enrolled in schools. [35] 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. [36] [37] The military and national police are now provided with mandatory literacy courses. [38] 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. [39] [40]

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. [35]

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. [41]

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. [42]

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. [43]

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. Referred to as the Heart of 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 largest city and serves as its capital. 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">Afghans</span> People or citizens of Afghanistan

Afghans or Afghan people are nationals or citizens of Afghanistan, or people with ancestry from there. Afghanistan is made up of various ethnicities, of which Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras and Uzbeks are the largest. The three main languages spoken by Afghans are Dari, Pashto and Uzbek many Afghans are bilingual speaking both Dari and Pashto.

<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. An ancient civilization on the Silk Road between West, Central and South Asia, it serves as a regional hub in the country's west.

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

Dari, also known as Dari Persian, is the variety of the Persian language spoken in Afghanistan. Dari 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. 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 is the official language for 35 million Afghans in Afghanistan and it serves as the lingua franca for interethnic communications in Afghanistan.

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

The population of Afghanistan is around 41 million as of 2023. The nation is composed of a multi-ethnic and multilingual society, reflecting its location astride historic trade and invasion routes between Central Asia, South Asia, and Western Asia. Ethnic groups in the country include Pashtun, Tajik, Hazara, Uzbek, as well as smaller groups such as Baloch, Nuristani, Turkmen, Aimaq, Mongol and some others which are less known. Together they make up the contemporary Afghan people.

<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, southern and eastern Afghanistan, and some isolated pockets of far eastern Iran near the Afghan border. 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> Music and musical traditions of Afghanistan

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">Farsiwan</span> Name of Persian speakers, esp. in Afghanistan

Fārsīwān is a contemporary designation for Persian speakers in Afghanistan and its diaspora elsewhere. More specifically, it was originally used to refer to a distinct group of farmers in Afghanistan and urban dwellers. In Afghanistan, original Farsiwans are found predominantly in Herat and Farah provinces. They are roughly the same as the Persians of eastern Iran. The term excludes the Hazāra and Aymāq tribes, who also speak dialects of Persian.

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

Chaghcharān, also called Firozkoh, is a town and district in central Afghanistan, which serves as the capital of Ghor Province. It is located on the southern side of the Hari River, at an altitude of 2,230 m above sea level. Chaghcharan is linked by a 380 kilometres (240 mi) long highway with Herat to the west, and a 450 kilometres (280 mi) long highway with Kabul to the east. The town has an airport called Chaghcharan Airport.

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

Afghanistan is a linguistically diverse nation, with upwards of 40 distinct languages. However, Dari and Pashto are two of the most prominent languages in the country, and have shared official status under various governments of Afghanistan. Dari, as a shared language between multiple ethnic groups in the country, has served as a historical lingua franca between different linguistic groups in the region and is the most widely understood language in the country. Pashto is also widely spoken in the region; but the language does not have a diverse multi-ethnic population like Dari, and the language is not as commonly spoken by non-Pashtuns. Dari and Pashto are also "relatives", as both are Iranian languages.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghanistan Cricket Board</span> Governing body of cricket in Afghanistan

The Afghanistan Cricket Board is the official governing body of cricket in Afghanistan. It is Afghanistan's representative at the International Cricket Council (ICC) and was an associate member of ICC from June 2013 until becoming a full member in June 2017. Before that it was an affiliate member and has been a member of that body since 2001. It is also a member of the Asian Cricket Council.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Dupree</span> American historian

Nancy Hatch Dupree was an American historian whose work primarily focused on the history of modern Afghanistan. She was the director of the Afghanistan Center at Kabul University and author of five books that she compiled while studying the history of Afghanistan from 1962 until the late 1970s, writing about tourism and history of Bamyan, Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif and so on. She was fondly called the "grandmother of Afghanistan", having spent more of her life there or with Afghans abroad.

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 Scuba Diver Trainer (MSDT).

<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> Literature written in or related to Afghanistan

Afghan literature or literature of Afghanistan refers to the literature produced in the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Influenced by Central and South Asian literature, it is predominantly written in two native and official languages of Afghanistan, Dari and Pashto. Some regional languages such as Uzbek, Turkmen, Balochi, and Pashayi also appears in Afghan literature. While Afghanistan is a multilingual country, these languages are generally used as oral compositions and written texts by the Afghan writers and in Afghan curriculum. Its literature is highly influenced by Persian and Arabic literature in addition to Central and South Asia.

An Afghan personal name consists of a given name and sometimes a surname at the end. Personal names are generally not divided into first and family names; a single name is recognized as a full personal name, and the addition of further components – such as additional given names, regional, or ethnic family/clan names or patronymics – is often a matter of parents' choice. This structure is shared amongst the different ethnicities of Afghanistan and people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

References

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  33. ↑ Motlagh, Jason (September 1, 2007). "The last Jew in Afghanistan—Alone on Flower Street: He survived Soviets, Taliban – and outlasted even his despised peer". The San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  34. ↑ Shaheed, Anisa (May 30, 2018). "Afghanistan's Only Jew 'Worried' About The Country's Future". Tolo News . Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  35. 1 2 3 "Education". United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Archived from the original on September 2, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  36. ↑ "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)
  37. ↑ "Ghazni governor signs memorandum for Lincoln Learning Center".
  38. ↑ "Rising literacy in Afghanistan ensures transition".
  39. ↑ Farmer, Ben (November 30, 2011). "Sesame Street to be broadcast in Afghanistan". Kabul: The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  40. ↑ DeMott, Rick (December 1, 2011). "Sesame Street To Debut In Afghanistan". AWN News. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  41. ↑ "Afghanistan Online: Culture - Important holidays/occasions/festivities celebrated in Afghanistan". Archived from the original on March 7, 2005. Retrieved May 24, 2005.
  42. ↑ 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.
  43. ↑ "An Introduction to Afghanistan Culture" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 15, 2017.

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