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As The US Campaign Winds Down, Here Are Astonishing Photos Of Afghanistan Before Its Devastating Wars
On the left is a picture showing the photographer's daughter in a pleasant park. On the right is that same park 40 years later.
Defense1 min readIn the 60s, this blonde attracted looks in a still very conservative Afghanistan.
But many people also wore nice western clothes in the 60s, too.
Afghanistan had a modern military thanks to reforms by King Amanullah Khan in the 1920s.
A new car drives through a freshly-built mountain tunnel ...
... and another stops at a gas station.
Girls and boys in western-style universities and schools were encouraged to talk to each other freely.
Newly-paved streets were flooded with new cars.
There was also a Girl and Boy Scouts of Afghanistan.
The country was undergoing a process of modernization ...
... but much of Afghan culture retained its traditional dress and style. Even in Kabul, the bazaars remained the same as they had in earlier decades.
Here's a more traditional stall ...
... and a typical street scene.
Following World War II — which Afghanistan managed to stay out of — the Soviets and Americans competed for rights to build Afghan roadways.
Unlike today, roads in 1960s Afghanistan were well-kept and generally free of wear and tear.
Kids grew up in a safe environment, free of extremist influence, compared to today.
The villages didn't look too much different back then ...
... although new construction was everywhere.
Signs of prosperity dotted the urban landscape, showing off the country's upper class.
The group of American schools in Afghanistan shows just how stable the country was once considered.
An official vehicle plies the streets.
Fruit markets stayed largely the same and became a staple of Afghan culture.
... as did fabric markets ...
... and glassware.
Kabul's classic architecture was maintained, giving the city a firm aesthetic and sense of identity.
Here's another example of the city's distinctive style.
Even so, there was much western influence in the newer homes and businesses.
Crowded lorries and trucks are still a common scene in the country.
A view of the mountains outside of Kabul in winter.
Women weren't required to wear burqas — Afghanistan wasn't quite as conservative back then. But some would still cover up by choice.
A traditional-style archway.
As The US Campaign Winds Down, Here Are Astonishing Photos Of Afghanistan Before Its Devastating Wars
As The US Campaign Winds Down, Here Are Astonishing Photos Of Afghanistan Before Its Devastating Wars
As The US Campaign Winds Down, Here Are Astonishing Photos Of Afghanistan Before Its Devastating Wars
Elementary education, even out in the rural areas, was standard.
There was a widespread sense that opportunities hinged on education.
Children would learn in outside classrooms if they had to.
... although new buildings were always under construction.
Nationalism grew, as people identified with Afghanistan rather than with tribes.
As The US Campaign Winds Down, Here Are Astonishing Photos Of Afghanistan Before Its Devastating Wars
As The US Campaign Winds Down, Here Are Astonishing Photos Of Afghanistan Before Its Devastating Wars
There were movie theaters, libraries, chemistry labs, and on the outskirts of Kabul, large factories churning out a variety products.
Some historical buildings were in an excellent state of preservation.
People gathered in the streets for religious or cultural events without fear.
But while urban Afghanistan became modern, rural Afghanistan was still much as it had been decades before.
Afghanistan had a national identity, and a distinct national style, despite all the newfangled 'western' influence.
As The US Campaign Winds Down, Here Are Astonishing Photos Of Afghanistan Before Its Devastating Wars
As The US Campaign Winds Down, Here Are Astonishing Photos Of Afghanistan Before Its Devastating Wars
Yes, both rural and urban, western and south asian, it seemed all of Afghanistan ...
... was on the road to prosperity. The wars were in the future — but they weren't very far off. When the Soviets invaded less than two decades later, it would hasten Afghanistan's path towards becoming a very different country.
You've seen Afghanistan how it used to be ...
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