KABUL: The Afghan National Museum once again welcomed visitors and showed off pre-Islamic artifacts with the Taliban blessings – very contrasting when the hard lines were ransacked and closed their facilities during the cilting.
The Trickle of Carvitizen walked around the spacious exhibition rooms in Kabul when AFP recently visited, admiring treasure ranging from the pottery of stone age painted to ancient coins and religious items.
“This has been born in humans so they attach value to their history,” said Rahmatullah, 65, after in vain examining a collection of swords aged 2,000 years.
“I want to know more about my country’s history.
It has a special place in my heart”.
The museum was reopened at the end of November with permission from the Ministry of Information and the Taliban new culture, about three months after Islamist whipped power and ended their two decades rebellion.
Some artifacts on open views are fundamentally contrary to the radical ideology of the Taliban, including a collection of pottery that displays images of animals and humans.
During their first 1996-2001 government, the Taliban fighters destroyed items including statues in the museum, while tens of thousands of items were looted and never recovered.
In that period, Islamists also detonated Buddhist giant statues aged 1,500 years in the Central Bamiyan Valley.
But the Taliban fighters now look after the museum and treasure from potential attacks by Islamic government rebels.
According to the Head of Curator Ainuddin Sadaqat, there has been no effort to limit what is displayed.
Only “15 to 20 percent of the exhibition is Islamic heritage”, which was 35 years old told AFP.
“We also have visitors from Taliban,” which sometimes came to get around the museum in large quantities, said Sadaqat.
The reopening appearances when the hardline Islamists tried to present a more moderate image when trying to open billions of dollars in deferred international assistance since the fall of the government supported by the West and for sanctions to be lifted.
The museum also offers a collection of 18th and 19th century jewelry.
“I came here to see jewelry – like what in the past; necklace, earrings,” said Zohal, 24, who only gave his first name.
“I want to see the difference between past jewelry and what we have now,” said this Afghan woman, who worked for the Norwegian Refugee Council.
Visitor number is far below the hundreds used to visit every day under the previous regime – time when the numbers are swollen by the children’s coach.
“For now, the Taliban culture policy towards artifacts does look very positive and realistic,” said Philippe Marquis, who previously led the French archaeological delegation in Afghanistan.
Future policies “may depend on the reaction of the international community” for the Taliban’s request to restore suspended assistance, he added, with the risk of cutting the assistance will result in a setback in culture and other policy areas.
Other major cultural institutions, Afghan National Music Institute, remained closed.
Ahmad Naser Sarmast’s director left the country along with hundreds of staff, students and their families.