Museums
in Afghanistan show the glimpses of long history of Afghanistan. Afghanistan
has gone through various phases in its history. Long before, the inhabitants
of Afghanistan were Hindu. Later they embraced the teachings of Buddha and
became Buddhists. This saw the period of great artistic evolution,
culmination of which of Gandhara Art. 7th century saw the beginning of
Islamic era. The way of living changed a lot under Islamic influence. All
these phases of history reflect themselves in Afghanistan museums.
Kabul Museum
Once considered the treasurehouse of Central Asian history, Kabul Museum
now seems a shadow of its former self. Kabul museum was once a well-knwon
archaeological site in Afghanistan, highly acclaimed for its fine antique
collections. The museum stored priceless manuscripts, miniature paintings
related to Gandhara school of art, weapons and art objects. The museum
hosted an array of antiquities from Kushan, early Buddhism and early Islamic
periods.
Showpieces of the Kabul Museum included objects related to Afghan, Persian,
Chinese, Indian, Greek, Arab and Central Asian history. Most famous among
these displays was Bagram collection. One could also see the samples of
Greek and Roman coins here, from 8th century BC to late 19th century. The
Museum showcased relics from Alexandria, Ashokan, Akhamansheed,
Greek,Budd-hist, Kanishkan, Zoroastrian and Muslim periods.
Kabul Museum suffered heavy destruction at the hands of the Taliban.
However, after the Taliban were pushed away from the power, international
community is jointly rebuilding t he museum.
Kandahar Museum
Kandahar Museum displays paintings of Ghiyassuddin, a well-known artist
from Afghanistan. It is located at the western end of the Eidgah Durwaza.
Museum of Islamic Art, Ghazni
Located in the mausoleum of Sultan Abdul Razzaq, Museum of Islamic Art in
Ghazni showcases 16th century Timurid architecture. Reopened in 1966, it has
pretty large assemblage of objects from Ghazanvid period. Touring the
museum, one can have pretty understanding of Timurid art and culture. The
museum stores artefacts such as bronze articles, ceramic tiles and glass
wares. One feature of museum is out of the Islamic sphere of influence. This
is the collection of articles shaped by the use of human and animal
formation.
Provincial Museums
Museum were established in Herat, Balkh, Nangarhar and Kandahar in the
1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Regional artefacts were housed in these museums. As
the situation in Afganistan started turning the ugly way, the relics were
sent to Capital Kabul for protection. However the treasured pieces could not
escape destruction even there. Now the elected government of Afghanistan is
trying to gather the scattered pieces of this matchless terror.
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