Today marks the three-year anniversary of the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, a move that ended America’s longest-ever war and left the country under Taliban control.
The return to power of the fundamentalist group sparked fears of a resurgence of disorder, oppressive governance and violence.
Some of those fears have proven to be justified. The Taliban has gradually banned women from most aspects of public life, including visiting parks and attending universities (with a few exceptions such as nursing and midwifery courses). Girls over the age of 12 are barred from attending school.
Earlier this month, the Taliban announced even stricter laws prohibiting women from showing their faces and speaking—or singing—outside of their homes. Eye contact between unrelated men and women is also forbidden. Additionally, the new laws formalise the ban on playing music and publishing images of living creatures (these rules have been in place for the past three years but were only selectively enforced).
“Since August 2021, decisions have been taken in Afghanistan by the de facto authorities in areas of Unesco’s mandate that raise deep concerns, notably regarding the dramatic situation concerning the education of girls and women as well as artistic expressions and intangible heritage,” Unesco tells The Art Newspaper, adding that the situation “can be expected to be exacerbated” with the implementation of the latest laws.
These restrictions have had a profound impact on individuals like Alina Gawhary, who was in her final year of school when the Taliban took power and barred her from continuing her education. Undeterred, the art student started to teach art and English to underprivileged children at home. But, in 2023, as the Taliban’s restrictions intensified, she moved to Bangladesh to study Economics.
“The situation in Afghanistan was very bad for women. I knew I may not be able to continue in the arts but at least I have freedom of thought and I can study,” Gawhary says.
Ban on education for women and girls
Recently, Gawhary came one step closer to realising her ambition of studying art with a placement at the University of Ulster in Belfast thanks to Beyond Skin, an arts and peace-building NGO in Northern Ireland that helps Afghan women artists. However, she was unable to secure a UK visa due to the £20,000 ($26,300) cost, which she was unable to afford. Beyond Skin is trying to raise the necessary funds through a GoFundMe page, which has so far made £5,000 ($6,500)—still some way away from the target. “There are very few experienced women who can teach arts in Afghanistan. My dream is to gain my degree in Belfast and go back to my country to teach other girls,” Gawhary says.
Similar to Gawhary, Marjan’s future in the arts was also cut short with the arrival of the Taliban. She was getting ready to study fine art when the universities were abruptly closed to women. She started attending a private art class, but a clampdown on all forms of education for women and girls put a stop to that too. She notes that only women are allowed to teach girls, which is extremely limiting due to the shortage of experienced female art teachers.
“I don’t have any issues with this government, I just want us to be allowed to study,” she says, adding that many young women experience depression from being forced to stay at home. Marjan continues to make art at home and participates in local exhibitions— although she restricts her subject matter to landscapes.
Beyond Skin has helped her sell some works abroad, providing much needed financial relief to her family. “I wish there were more organisations that could support women in this way,” she says. “We can sit at home and make a living, without seeing any men—or having our voices heard,” she quips.
Support for heritage restoration
While its repressive attitude towards women’s rights has remained consistent, the Taliban's stance on the preservation of historic sites contrasts sharply with its actions in 2001, when the group destroyed the monumental Buddhas of Bamiyan.
Last year, the Afghan Cultural Heritage Consulting Organisation (ACHCO) undertook conservation works at Shewaki, a 1,500-year-old Buddhist site located around 20km south-east of Kabul. The Taliban also gave the heritage organisation the go-ahead to restore a historic synagogue in Herat, western Afghanistan. Funded by the Swiss-based foundation Aliph, the restored synagogue is due to be inaugurated next week and will function as a library and craft museum. Jolyon Leslie, an adviser to ACHCO, describes the Taliban's approach to historic sites as “protective, supportive and quite open-minded".
Yu Aw synagogue in 2007 before restoration Images: courtesy of ACHCO
Taliban authorities have also been quick to react when heritage sites have come under threat from natural disasters. In November 2023, when deadly earthquakes struck Herat province, which is known for its rich heritage, Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the area's director of information and culture, promptly requested an assessment of the damage to culutral landmarks and appealed for foreign support.
The Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), one of the largest cultural organisations working on conservation projects in Afghanistan, is at present repairing damage due to earthquakes at two major sites: Masjid-i Jami, a 13th-century Ghurid mosque, and the Abdullah Ansari Shrine, a complex with 11th-century origins and Timurid architecture. Both projects are funded by Aliph. Plans for a second phase of conservation work include repairs at the Ikhtyaruddin Citadel complex, which is believed to date back to Alexander the Great’s capture of Herat.
“When it comes to the conservation of historic sites, the level of support [from the government] remains steady and consistent,” says Ajmal Maiwandi, the chief executive officer of the Afghanistan AKTC. “I don't see a fluctuation in the intent to carry out those types of projects. In fact, if anything, they're asking for more to be done,” Maiwandi says.
The AKTC is working on a number of projects across Afghanistan, including the ancient Bala Hissar citadel in Kabul and the cultural development of the Machine Khana Industrial Complex, a group of 19th-century warehouses built by Abdur Rahman Khan, the Emir of Afghanistan from 1880-1901. But Maiwandi notes that the organisation faces challenges around brain drain and financial support. “We have a lot of issues with being able to retain expertise…simply because many Afghans seek asylum abroad,” Maiwandi says.
Since August 2021, an estimated 1.6 million Afghans have travelled to the neighbouring countries of Iran and Pakistan. According to UNHCR, Afghans represent the third largest displaced population globally, following Syrians and Ukrainians.
Lack of funding
Before the Taliban seized power three years ago, around 80% of Afghanistan's public expenditure was financed through foreign aid, the majority of which has now been cut off. Funding for heritage projects has become scarce due to Western donors pulling out after the Taliban takeover. While most of the international community has held off on recognising the Taliban government, a small number of countries, including Russia, China, Japan, Pakistan and Iran, have opened embassies and established diplomatic relations with the new regime. In August, the UAE accepted the credentials of the Taliban’s ambassador, Badruddin Haqqani.
The lack of funding threatens the survival of Afghanistan’s rich historic sites. Unesco says it requires $25m for cultural projects in the country but is facing significant gaps. “Unesco’s activities in Afghanistan face a large funding shortfall to deliver on its designated priorities. In this context, there is an acute risk that activities led by Unesco will no longer be sustainable, which would jeopardise the hard-won gains of the last years,” it says.
Afghanistan is home to two Unesco World Heritage sites, the Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam and the Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley, both of which are listed as "in danger". In May, the Minaret was damaged by severe flooding, necessitating emergency repairs, and ongoing efforts will be required to protect and preserve the site, according to Unesco. “These funding requirements highlight the extensive support needed to address urgent conservation issues, prevent cultural trafficking, and promote cultural industries as levers for income generation,” the organisation adds.
The Minaret of Jam
Maiwandi confirms that AKTC donor funding is a fraction of what it used to be. The organisation put up its own investment for the Machine Khana project after the German government cancelled its support. “We are able to selectively implement projects, but nowhere near the scale or the value of what we had previously,” Maiwandi says, adding that there are thousands of historic sites in Afghanistan and a real need for investment to protect them.
Heritage projects also offer crucial humanitarian assistance by providing employment opportunities for ordinary Afghans, a lifeline amid the country’s challenging economic climate. Unesco’s recent conservation works in Bamiyan employed around 200 local workers, while AKTC projects in Herat and Kabul also provide jobs and new skills to hundreds of Afghans. Leslie notes that nearly 30% of the overall funding ACHCO receives for its projects is used for labour, describing it as “a significant economic input” that supports both the preservation of culture and the livelihoods of the local community.
“Afghanistan continues to face many challenges in terms of conservation and protection of cultural heritage and cultural rights. Poverty, challenges relating to health, and education, and the prevailing threats on culture, including on artists and cultural professionals as well as the situation since the takeover of the de facto authorities, represent a precarious situation, heavily impacting cultural life and the cultural sector as a whole,” Unesco says.