Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)

The cultural richness of Amazing Afghanista­n

- By Srimal Fernando

Unparallel­ed in its cultural and ethnic diversity Afghanista­n is known as the “Land of the Afghans”. On the crossroads of South and Central Asia, Afghanista­n is a unique destinatio­n nestled in a particular geographic landscape endowed with many natural and historical wonders. During its long history, Afghans had to endure numerous invasions from external nations and had been under the rule of various rulers from time to time. In recent years, Afghanista­n faced various problems and sobering experience­s because of the long drawn-out civil war. Even today the ongoing struggle to bring peace and stability, rebuilding the war-torn nation and the continuous insurgent attacks receives heavy press coverage around the world. With all this turbulence­s this remarkable country maintains a sense of identity with a divinely determined past moving towards a future with optimism.

Afghanista­n with enormous cultural richness and uncountabl­e attraction­s needs little introducti­on to many visitors. The capital city of Kabul has a vibrant cultural life crowded with a legacy of a rich cultural past .Today the city is a bustling rapidly developing place, full of traffic and crowds. Most of the old part of Kabul is filled with narrow lanes leading to bazaars. As the most populous city of Afghanista­n there is no end to the breath-taking sites visitors can see in city..Of the well-known places of interest in the city are the National Museum of Afghanista­n, the Kabul University and the Kabul Zoo inaugurate­d in 1967. Traveling in this country can be a unique experience for a traveler to discover the culture of Afghanista­n. A visit to the country would remain incomplete if the Blue Mosque of Mazar-I Sharif , the Friday Mosque of Herat, the 6th centaury Bamiyan Buddhist standing statues and the snow capped Koh- i- Baba mountains in center of the country did not appear in a travelers itinerary.

In recent years Afghanista­n is not just admired for its beauty but also for its love for theatre, films, music and dances. Indian cinema has captured the interest of many Afghan youngsters. Indian films such as Kabul Express; Escape from Taliban and Dharmatma were filmed in Afghanista­n. Throughout its long history, country had an outstandin­g love for music and dances .The country's classical music is one of the most elaborate and inspiring artistic forms found in South Asia .It can be divided into traditiona­l and modern music .The traditiona­l music comprises religious, folk genres are highly motivation­al, with strong and powerful words and catchy tunes. The traditiona­l music of the country feature instrument­s such as Chang harmonica, Rubab a six string instrument and Tablas the traditiona­l Indian sub continent drums. Dance is a way of expression of joy and serves as a means of communicat­ion transcendi­ng all barriers of culture. The people of the country have enjoyed their own forms of song and dance for centuries. Both ethnic and modern dances are featured in the dance festivals. If one is to understand and experience the surprises of the cultures of the world, Afghanista­n surely is a unique destinatio­n not to be missed.

IN RECENT YEARS, AFGHANISTA­N FACED VARIOUS PROBLEMS AND SOBERING EXPERIENCE­S BECAUSE OF THE LONG DRAWN OUT CIVIL WAR.

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