GLIMPSES OF KANDAHAR
An adventurous investment? Kandahar’s luna park.
Large trucks coming from Pakistan and battered taxis are some of the most common vehicles on the streets of Kandahar.
An ominous sign of declining security: very few people walk in the street these days.
The pictures of two mullahs killed by the Taliban.
Afghan Army checkpoint in Downtown Kandahar.
Walking past a wall peppered with bullet holes.
Traditional mud-brick houses in the center of Kandahar. Some have satellite dishes on the roof.
In the heyday of the Taliban regime, Mullah Omar commissioned this blue-domed mosque to hold important meetings with religious leaders from all over the country. Following the US-led invasion, its construction came to a halt and, in 2003, Kandahar University relocated to the area. The Faculty of Medicine is now located right in front of the mosque.
Medicine students at Kandahar University. The University also offers degrees in Agriculture, Engineering and Education. In total, there are 1,150 matriculated students.
Characteristic rock formations tower over dry and difficult terrains in the outskirts of Kandahar.
A mosque near the city’s main market area.
A herder and his son driving a flock of sheep.
KANDAHAR, March 11 2007: Photographing the streets of Kandahar presented a serious security challenge, as using a camera inevitably attracted the attention of the people walking by and clearly identified me as “a foreigner.” I do not wish to overstate the risks involved in a walk through Kandahar: the city itself is relatively safe and the chances of running into armed gunmen are quite low. Yet, it is undeniable that the Taliban are out on a kidnapping spree and, of course, foreigners are prime targets, especially if they carry a passport issued by one of the countries that currently have troops stationed in Afghanistan. Therefore, in order to avoid any potential threat to myself and to my Afghan colleagues, in many instances I decided not to take any pictures. Rather than presenting a comprehensive review of the city, this collection of rapid and cautious shots offers a narrow peek into Kandahar in a time of conflict and instability.
