Afghanistan

• Entrance of the Kabul Museum © UNESCO

Afghanistan, situated at an important junction on the ancient Silk Roads, has been the crossroads of cultures since time immemorial.

Its unique cultural heritage reflects a history that is marked by the complex indigenous encounters between Achemenid Persia, Alexandrian Greece, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam.

However, due to prolonged armed conflict and fanaticism, much of this outstanding cultural heritage has been destroyed. The Bamiyan Buddhas were dynamited in March 2001, and in the following months most of the debris together with the remains of original sculpture, was taken away to be sold. In addition, the small statues in the collections of the Kabul Museum were smashed, including many stored for security reasons in the Ministry of Information and Culture.

The present situation of the Afghan heritage can be qualified as a cultural disaster. UNESCO is implementing a strategy for the safeguarding of the Afghan cultural heritage.