Culture of Afghanistan

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The culture of Afghanistan has been around for a millennia. Different regions of the country have their own unique traditions, reflecting the multi-cultural and multi-lingual character of the nation. For example: In the tribal areas of South-East Afghanistan the Pashtuns practice Pashtunwali, which is a pre-Islamic cultural tradition.[1] There are traces of other traditions, most of all by religions such as Zoroastrianism and Buddhism, though Islamic norms and mannerisms appear prevalent. Afghanistan has been the main crossroads for Central Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East, and has influenced its culture[2].

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[edit] Art and entertainment

Local art has spanned many centuries. One of the most famous kinds is the Gandhara art between the 1st and 7th century based on Greco-Buddhist art. Since the 1900s Afghanistan began to use Western techniques in art. Afghanistan's art was originally almost entirely done by men but recently in theater arts women have begun to take center stage.[3] Art is largely centered at the Kabul Museum. Other well known forms of art in Afghanistan are Music and Poetry. 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 holds the 47th largest club in the Middle East, the Jiffa Zayin, with a capacity of 180.

[edit] Music

Main article: Music of Afghanistan

Since the 1980s, Afghanistan has been constantly witnessing a never ending civil unrest in the country. As such, 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 ply 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 city of Herat, and the Greater Balkh region with its Qataghaani style. Lyrics across the country are typically in both Persian and Pashto.

[edit] Poetry

Main article: Poetry of Afghanistan

Poetry in Afghanistan has long been a cultural tradition and passion. Historically, poetry written in the Persian language has been dominant, although in recent times, poetry in Pashto and Turkic languages are becoming more recognised.

[edit] Architecture

The region has made major contributions to the world architecture. UNESCO has acknowledged Afghanistan's role by declaring the Minaret of Jam and the Valley of Bamiyan, home of the famous Buddhas destroyed by the Taliban, World Heritage Sites.

Other examples of universally important contributions to architecture may be found in Herat, Mazari Sharif and Ghazni.[4]

[edit] Cuisine

Main article: Cuisine of Afghanistan
Variety of Afghan food
Qabuli Palao with lamb
Afghan lamb kebab with yellow rice.

Afghanistan has a wide varying landscape allowing for many different crops. Afghani food is largely based upon cereals like wheat, maize, barley and rice which are the nation's chief crops. Afghanistan is well known for its grapes.[5]

Some Afghan cuisine:

[edit] Clothing

Girls sing at a celebration of International Women's Day in Afghanistan.

The country's traditional male clothing usually includes a Lungee (turban), Pakol (hat), and a Chapan (coat). Occasionally, some men wear or wrap Keffiyehs on their head. Traditional Afghan clothes vary by regions and sometimes ethnicities as well as tribes. Most traditional Afghan attire for women consists of a long colorful dress with round skirt.

[edit] Sports

Main article: Sport in Afghanistan

Most official sports in the country are run by the Afghan Sports Federation which promotes soccer, cricket, basketball, volleyball, handball, track and field, bowling and chess.

Afghanistan fields 7 players at FIDE with its highest rated being Saifudin Ayyoubi with a rating of 2178. A popular and ancient sport in Afghanistan and other Central Asian nations is Buzkashi.

[edit] Education

Main article: Education in Afghanistan
Typical classroom in rural Afghanistan.
Young college students

Education in Afghanistan has recently been revitalized after the fall of the Taliban. Primary education lasts about six years. If the students do well on the entrance exam they are then admitted into secondary education, which is divided into 7-9 and 10-12. A new structure that allows eight years of primary and four years of secondary education will probably be considered in the near future. There are approximately 10,000 schools in the country but some of them are in need of renovation.

[edit] Higher education

Higher education is provided by about 18 universities in the country, which includes Kabul University, the American University of Afghanistan, Nangarhar University, Balk University, Herat University, Kandahar University and 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.

[edit] Language

There are two official languages in Afghanistan, Dari and Pashto. People in the northern areas of the country usually speak Dari, while those living in the south and southeast speak Pashto. Several other languages are spoken in their own regions, which includes Hazaragi, Uzbeki, Turkmen and Balochi. Also to note that about 10% of the population (Afghan refugees living in Pakistan) are also able to speak and understand Urdu, which is the national language of Pakistan.

[edit] Religion

The Blue Mosque in Mazari Sharif.

The overwhelming majority of Afghans (about 99 percent or more) are Muslims. Approximately 80% of the population is Sunni, while 19% is Shia. In March 2006 the arrest of Abdul Rahman the Afghan convert to Christianity pointed to about 6,000 to 10,000 Afghan Christians. [6] Besides Muslims, there are 15,000 to 30,000 Hindus and Sikhs living in the country. They are usually found in big cities such as Kabul, Kandahar, and Jalalabad.

[edit] Housing

Houses in Afghanistan are traditionally made of a series of rooms located around a private rectangular courtyard where women and children play, cook and socialize. Married sons share the same house as their parents, although they have separate quarters. Some Afghan houses contain a special room where men socialize with each other. In the cities many Afghans live in apartments. There are many new modern designed houses available in all the major cities of the country. The nomadic population of Afghanistan lives in large tents because they are constantly on the move.[7]

[edit] Holidays

Holidays in Afghanistan are celebrated according to the lunar calendar while other secular holidays are celebrated based on the solar calendar.

[edit] National

National festivals include:

[edit] Religious

For more information see:Islamic Holidays

Afghanistan's religious holidays are nearly the same as Islamic holidays. Some of the most important include Eid ul-Fitr, Eid ul-Adha, Ashura, and Mawlid. [8] Religious minorities of Afghanistan, such as the Hindus and Sikhs, celebrate holidays unique to their respective religion.[9]

[edit] Etiquette

The societies in Afghanistan have conventional rules of polite behavior and place much emphasis on correct behavior.[10]

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ US Library of Congress: Afghanistan - Ethnic Groups (Pashtun)
  2. ^ G.V. Brandolini. Afghanistan cultural heritage. Orizzonte terra, Bergamo. 64 p. 2007
  3. ^ The Christian Science Monitor: Risky revival of Afghan theater puts womem ja center stage
  4. ^ SPACH: Society for the Preservation of Afghanistan's Cultural Heritage
  5. ^ In Mama's Kitchen: Afghan Food and Cookery
  6. ^ Afghan Times News Network
  7. ^ Cultural Profiles Project: Afghanistan Family Life
  8. ^ [http://www.afghan-web.com/culture/holidays.html Afghanistan Online: Culture - Important holidays/occasions/festivities celebrated in Afghanistan]
  9. ^ Afghan Hindus and Sikhs
  10. ^ Dupree, Nancy H.. "ETIQUETTE". Encyclopædia Iranica (Online Edition ed.). United States: Columbia University. http://www.iranica.com/newsite/index.isc?Article=http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/unicode/v9f1/v9f105.html. 

[edit] External links

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