Interesting
facts
The
people of Afghanistan are called Afghans and their currency
is Afghanis. Most of the time, people get confused between
the use of these two terms.
Agriculture
is the main source of income for Afghans. Afghanistan is
also rich in natural resources like natural gas and oil.
“Buzkashi”
is Afghanistan’s national game. Players in two teams
try to catch a goat while riding a horse. This game is being
played for centuries and is a tough sport.
New
Year is celebrated by Afghans on 21st March. They call it
“Nawroz”. It is a pre-Islamic festival which
is celebrated by a gathering of thousands of travelers from
across Afghanistan to the city of Mazar-e-Sharif. There
is a mosque in the center of the city. It is known as the
Blue Mosque or ‘the Shrine of Hazrat Ali’ the
cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H).
Mobile phone coverage is available in most of the country.
Mobile phones are status symbols.
They
celebrate poetry night on Thursdays in the western city
of Herat. People of all age groups gather there to share
modern and ancient verses of poetry and indulge in some
nice food along with some sweet tea.
Arnold
Schwarzenegger is the poster boy in many of the muscle building
centers in Afghanistan. They say he (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
looks like an Afghan.
Kandahar
airfield was once the busiest single-runway airstrip in
the world when it handled 1,700 to 5,000 flights a week.
Here NATO installed its first complete air traffic capability
in a non-NATO country.
The
world’s first oil paintings were drawn in the caves
of “Bamiyan” around 650BC.
Afghanistan
was once the largest producer of cannabis.
Afghanistan
is estimated to be inhabited by humans at least 50,000 years
ago.
Ahmad
Shah Durrani, also known as “the Father of the Nation”,
is the founder of the last Afghan empire. He was crowned
in 1747. He consolidated the country from principalities
and fragmented provinces into one kingdom.
Afghanistan
is also the land of many historical sites. Afghanistan’s
location on the silk route gave it various economic and
cultural advantages.
Afghanistan
is considered as the place of origin of the religion Zoroastrianism.
Pashto, one of the two official languages of Afghanistan,
was declared the national language of Afghanistan during
the beginning of the reign of Zahir Shah.
Dari
(Persian), the other official language was always used for
government and business purposes.
Today,
as Islam is a dominant religion in Afghanistan, the culture
is heavily influenced by the religion of peace and monotheism.
In
Afghanistan, most of the shops and businesses are closed
on Friday, which is the Islamic holy day.
Fasting
and praying during the month of Ramadan is a mandatory act
except for a few such as foreigners, and those who are sick,
traveling or having some other issues.
The
family is an important aspect of Afghanistan’s culture.
Men are laden with the responsibility to earn while women
are expected to stay home and serve the family. However,
in modern Afghanistan, you may also find some women working
in the cities and earning a living for themselves and their
families.
In most of the cases, the family lives together in the same
house. Upon marriage, the son and his wife live separately
in a different room in the house under the same roof.
Hospitality
plays a significant role in the country’s culture
and tradition. The visitors are treated with utmost respect
and are offered the best that the household has.
Women
are highly respected in the society and are not expected
to mix with the members of the opposite sex, except out
of marriage or direct family relations.
Women
are also expected to wear clothes that honor their modesty
and are not revealing. Tight clothes and western dresses
are not much welcomed in the society, at least in the rural
areas. Headscarves for women are advisable.
Direct
eye contact between men and women is not considered acceptable
and must be avoided.
Gifts
are a means of strengthening the relationship between a
visitor and his/her host. The visitors can carry a small
gift for the host when invited for tea or food.
Afghanistan
is a multicultural and multi-ethnic country.
A
handshake is the most usual form of greeting in Afghanistan’s
culture. Some people also place their hand on their heart
and nod slightly to show respect and approval to the other
party. However, shaking hands between the members of opposite
sex is not usual and is avoided.
Food
is generally served on the floor, on clothes made from various
materials.
The
host does their best to serve the best possible food, and
special attention is paid to fill the visitor’s plate
when it is empty.
Polygamy
is permissible in Afghanistan however it is rare. Many of
the marriages are consummated between cousins.
Marriages
are three-day lavish ceremonies during which a marriage
contract is signed and the couple is brought together.
Dari
Persian and Pashto are official languages of Afghanistan.
Noshaq
(7,492 meters or 24,580 ft) is the highest point in Afghanistan.
Helmand
is the longest river in Afghanistan.
Afghan
rugs are very popular around the world.
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