March 2010
4 posts
Precious Stones of Afghanistan
Afghanistan has been blessed with a great variety of precious and semi precious stones. Some of the earliest records of mining in the world are from Afghanistan, dating back to over 6,500 years ago. Even after years of brutal war, my country remains rich in precious and semi precious gemstone deposits. Some of Afghanistan’s precious and semi precious gemstones include: lapis lazuli,...
February 2010
8 posts
Religion
Islam is the religion of Afghanistan. It is a monotheistic religion based on the teachings of the Quran. People who follow Islam are called Muslims. They believe that the Quran is the word of God, revealed to the last prophet, Muhammad. Muhammad’s sayings and actions are called Sunnah and were documented during his lifetime. These were collected by Muslim...
Holidays
Afghanistan has two main holidays, Eid al Fitr and Eid al Adha. Muslim holidays generally follow the lunar calendar, and for this reason, move each year relative to the calendar. The Islamic calendar has 12 months and approximately 354-355 days.
Ramadan is the month in which Muslims must fast from sun-up to sun-down. This is meant to feel how the poor people are without food or water. In...
Afghan girls wear fancy dress as they swing on a merry-go-round celebrating the first day of Eid-al-Fitr, a three day holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan September 20, 2009 in Kabul, Afghanistan. During the holiday Afghans visit friends and family exchanging gifts and feasting.
Ethnic Groups
Afghanistan is a vast country and as a result has a rich mix of ethnicities and tribes. The Pashtun are Sunni Muslims who speak Pashto. They form around 65 -75% of the population and are concentrated in mainly Ningrahar and Paktia provinces. A large population also live in neighboring Pakistan. Tajiks form roughly 15% of the population. They speak a form of Persian called Dari, although some...
The Taliban
The Taliban ruled Afghanistan from around 1996 until 2001. They came to power during Afghanistan’s long civil war. Although they managed to hold 90% of the country’s territory, their policies—including their treatment of women and support of terrorists—ostracized them from the world community.
Women had to forcefully wear the burqa, a traditional dress which covers the entire body...
January 2010
2 posts
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Food
Afghan food is similar to the Middle East’s and India’s, they use many of the same spices. But Afghan cuisine is milder and lighter than its Indian neighbor. Many of the ingredients used in Afghan dishes probably aren’t in your spice shelf, but you can find them at Asian or Middle Eastern shops.
Kabuli Palau is Afghanistan’s most famous food dish. Softly cooked and seasoned beef...