The Taliban embrace cultural heritage

Taliban barrelled into Kabul in August 2021, the curators of Afghanistan’s national museum stashed away its pre-Islamic treasures. During the Islamists’ previous spell in power,minister of finance led an axe-wielding wrecking crew to smash up thousands of the pre-Islamic artefacts bequeathed by Afghanistan’s staggeringly rich history. Determined to prevent a repeat performance, museum employees camped for nights on end in the battered 1920s Kabul villa that houses its collections.

The Taliban, who in 2001 destroyed the giant sixth-century Buddhas carved into the cliffs of Bamiyan, in central Afghanistan, are also showing a benign attitude towards archaeological digs. They are even backing a project to save the remains of a synagogue left by the long-departed Jewish community of Herat. With improved security across the country—chiefly thanks to the end of the Taliban’s own insurgency—a mini-spike in archaeology has been inspired.

Still, satellite imagery suggests much more needs to be done to stop the looting of archaeological sites. There is also no guarantee the clerics will maintain their benevolent attitude. They turned to systematic cultural destruction only five years after they first assumed power, once their relations with the outside world had hit rock bottom. And the Taliban’s leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, appears again to be taking a more hardline direction.

The clerics are said to be concerned to prevent their foot-soldiers switching to another militant group, Islamic State Khorasan Province, which has more uncompromising views, including on non-Muslim culture. Wisely, the museum’s curators have no imminent plans to restore their treasured Buddhas and Nuristani statues to its galleries. “They are all valuable and we don’t want to risk them being broken by someone,” says Mr Ebadi, tactfully.

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