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== Education ==
== Education ==
{{Main|Education in Afghanistan}}
{{Main|Education in Afghanistan}}
[[Education in Afghanistan]] includes [[K–12 (education)|K-12]] and [[higher education]], which is supervised by the [[Ministry of Education (Afghanistan)|Ministry of Education]] and [[Ministry of Higher Education (Afghanistan)|Ministry of Higher Education]] in [[Kabul]], [[Afghanistan]]. There are about 10,000 schools of which 4,000 were built in the last decade. More than 100,000 teachers were trained and recruited in the same period.<ref name="USAID-Education">{{cite web|url=http://afghanistan.usaid.gov/en/programs/education#Tab=Description |title=Education |work=|publisher=[[United States Agency for International Development]] (USAID)|accessdate=August 11, 2011}}</ref> It was reported in 2011 that more than seven million male and female students were enrolled in schools.<ref name="USAID-Education"/> Some of the well known schools in Kabul are [[Habibia High School]], [[Lycée Esteqlal]], [[Amani High School]], [[Aisha-i-Durani School]], [[Ghazi High School]] and [[Rahman Baba High School]]. The Ahmad Shah Baba High School and Zarghuna Anna High School are two of the oldest schools in [[Kandahar]].
[[Education in Afghanistan]] includes [[K–12 (education)|K-12]] and [[higher education]], which is supervised by the [[Ministry of Education (Afghanistan)|Ministry of Education]] and [[Ministry of Higher Education (Afghanistan)|Ministry of Higher Education]] in [[Kabul]], [[Afghanistan]]. There are about 10,000 schools of which 4,000 were built in the last decade. More than 100,000 teachers were trained and recruited in the same period.<ref name="USAID-Education">{{cite web|url=http://afghanistan.usaid.gov/en/programs/education#Tab=Description|title=Education|work=|publisher=[[United States Agency for International Development]] (USAID)|accessdate=August 11, 2011|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902130309/http://afghanistan.usaid.gov/en/programs/education#Tab=Description|archivedate=September 2, 2011|df=}}</ref> It was reported in 2011 that more than seven million male and female students were enrolled in schools.<ref name="USAID-Education"/> Some of the well known schools in Kabul are [[Habibia High School]], [[Lycée Esteqlal]], [[Amani High School]], [[Aisha-i-Durani School]], [[Ghazi High School]] and [[Rahman Baba High School]]. The Ahmad Shah Baba High School and Zarghuna Anna High School are two of the oldest schools in [[Kandahar]].
[[File:Afghan textbooks in Pashto.jpg|thumb|200px|Afghan school textbooks written in [[Pashto language]]]]
[[File:Afghan textbooks in Pashto.jpg|thumb|200px|Afghan school textbooks written in [[Pashto language]]]]


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== Housing ==
== Housing ==
[[Houses]] in rural Afghanistan are traditionally made out of [[mud]], and have a series of rooms located around a private rectangular courtyard where women and children play, cook and socialize. Married sons share the same house as their parents in most cases, although they have separate quarters. Afghan houses contain a special room where men socialize with each other known as a ''hujra''. In the cities, many Afghans live in modern style houses or [[apartments]]. There are many new housing schemes being built in all the major cities of the country. Some of these include the {{nowrap|$35 bn}} ''New Kabul City'' next to the capital, the ''Ghazi Amanullah Khan City'' near Jalalabad, and the ''Aino Mina'' in Kandahar.<ref>[http://www.dcda.gov.af/ DCDA - the Kabul New City Official Website]</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.najeebzarab.af/town_main.php |title=Ghazi Amanullah Khan City |year=2009 |publisher=najeebzarab.af |accessdate=2011-08-15}}</ref><ref>[http://www.designmena.com/portfolio/aino-mina Case study: Aino Mina]</ref> The [[nomad]]ic [[kuchi people]] live in large tents because they are constantly on the move from one part of the country to another.<ref>[http://cp.settlement.org/english/afghanistan/family.html Cultural Profiles Project: Afghanistan Family Life]</ref>
[[Houses]] in rural Afghanistan are traditionally made out of [[mud]], and have a series of rooms located around a private rectangular courtyard where women and children play, cook and socialize. Married sons share the same house as their parents in most cases, although they have separate quarters. Afghan houses contain a special room where men socialize with each other known as a ''hujra''. In the cities, many Afghans live in modern style houses or [[apartments]]. There are many new housing schemes being built in all the major cities of the country. Some of these include the {{nowrap|$35 bn}} ''New Kabul City'' next to the capital, the ''Ghazi Amanullah Khan City'' near Jalalabad, and the ''Aino Mina'' in Kandahar.<ref>[http://www.dcda.gov.af/ DCDA - the Kabul New City Official Website]</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.najeebzarab.af/town_main.php |title=Ghazi Amanullah Khan City |year=2009 |publisher=najeebzarab.af |accessdate=2011-08-15}}</ref><ref>[http://www.designmena.com/portfolio/aino-mina Case study: Aino Mina]</ref> The [[nomad]]ic [[kuchi people]] live in large tents because they are constantly on the move from one part of the country to another.<ref>[http://cp.settlement.org/english/afghanistan/family.html Cultural Profiles Project: Afghanistan Family Life]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>


== Holidays ==
== Holidays ==

Revision as of 18:07, 1 January 2018

Part of a series on the
Culture of Afghanistan
History
People
Languages
Traditions
Mythology
Cuisine
Festivals
Religion
Art
Literature
Music and performing arts
Media
Sport
Monuments
Symbols
  • Flag
  • Coat of arms
  • National anthem

The culture of Afghanistan has been around for over three

multi-lingual
to a certain extent.

In the southern and eastern region, as well as western Pakistan which was historically part of Afghanistan, the Pashtuns live according to the Pashtun culture by following Pashtunwali (meaning "the way of the Pashtuns").[4] The western, northern, and central regions of Afghanistan are influenced by neighboring Central Asian and Persian cultures.[5][6] Some of the non-Pashtuns who live in close proximity with Pashtuns have adopted Pashtunwali in a process called Pashtunization (or Afghanization) while some Pashtuns and others become Persianized.

Art and music

See also: Music of Afghanistan
Women painting at the Center for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan (CCAA) in Kabul.

Local

Gandhara art between the 1st and 7th century based on Greco-Buddhist art. Kamaleddin Behzad was a famous artist from Herat during the late Timurid and early Safavid periods. Since the 1900s, the nation began to use Western techniques in art. Abdul Ghafoor Breshna
was a prominent Afghan painter and sketch artist from Kabul during the 20th century.

Afghanistan's art was originally almost entirely done by men, but recently women are entering the arts programs at Kabul University. Art is largely centered at the National Museum of Afghanistan, the National Gallery of Afghanistan and the National Archives of Afghanistan in Kabul. There are a number of art schools in the country. The Center for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan (CCAA) in Kabul provides young people to learn contemporary paintings.

Afghan musicians in Farah, Afghanistan.

Traditionally, only women have been involved in theater acting. Recently, in theater arts, women have begun to take center stage.[9]

Other known forms of art in the country are

Afghan carpet
has certain prints that make them unique to Afghanistan.

Since the 1980s, the nation has witnessed several wars so music has been suppressed and recording for outsiders minimal. During the 1990s, the

Bollywood films are also very popular in Afghanistan.[10]

Afghan men performing at the new Afghan Cultural Center on Camp Leatherneck in Helmand Province.

Afghans enjoy music by playing many types of instruments. They also enjoy performing the

ballads
. Many of the songs are known by almost everyone and have been around for many years. The main traditional Afghan music instruments includes:

Poetry

Main article: Poetry of Afghanistan

Abu Mansur Daqiqi, Farrukhi Sistani, Unsuri, and Anvari. Contemporary Persian language poets and writers include Khalilullah Khalili[13] and Sufi Ashqari.[14]

Afghan proverbs

Afghans universally prize wit and cleverness in speech. They use proverbs in their daily conversations far more often than Westerners do, and with far greater effect. An appropriate Afghan proverb inserted at the right time can carry the weight of an entire explanation or discussion. An Afghan proverb used well, especially by a foreigner, leads most Afghans either to laugh in genuine surprise and delight, or to nod thoughtfully while considering its full meaning and nuance.

"Zarbul Masalha" (pronounced zar-bull mah-sal-HAA) means "Proverbs" in

Dari, and these zarbul masalha deeply reflect Afghan culture. Although often humble in origin, Afghan proverbs can rival the great words of famous philosophers and writers throughout world history in their richness, meaning and color. A good Dari proverb
, properly used, can match the wisdom of Confucius, the depth of Zen Koan, the whimsy of Lewis Carroll, the homespun words of Mark Twain, and the lyricism of Shakespeare - all in one short, meaningful phrase.

Above all, the proper use of Afghan proverbs demonstrates respect and understanding of Afghan culture at a very high level. Their use can lead to deeper personal connections that in turn help bridge very different religions, ethnicities, customs and traditions. Regardless of their many differences, people all over the world share many common feelings, opinions and hopes. Afghan proverbs highlight these similarities, and show our common humanity. U.S. Navy Captain Edward Zellem pioneered the use of Afghan proverbs as a positive relationship-building tool during the war in Afghanistan, and in 2012 he published two bilingual collections of Afghan proverbs in Dari and English.[15][16]

Architecture

Herat Citadel in the western Afghan city of Herat

The region has made major contributions to the world's

World Heritage Sites
.

Other examples of important contributions to architecture may be found in

Mazar-I-Sharif, Ghazni[17] Kandahar, and Firuzkoh in Ghor Province
.

Cuisine

Main article: Afghan cuisine

Afghanistan has a wide varying landscape allowing for many different crops. Afghan food is largely based upon cereals like

grapes, and its extra-sweet jumbo-size melons
.

Mantu
(dumplings). The Afghan cuisine includes a blend of Central Asian, Eastern Asian, South Asian and the Middle Eastern cuisines. Nearly all Afghan dishes are non-spicy.

Sport

Main article: Sport in Afghanistan
Afghanistan national football team (in red uniform)
Ghazi Stadium in the city of Kabul

The sports in Afghanistan are organized by the

handball, boxing, taekwondo, track and field, bowling, skating[18] and several others.[19]

Cricket and football are the most popular sports in Afghanistan. The

2012 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup and the 2012 ICC World Twenty20
. In the national level, cricket matches are played between provinces, mainly between the south and eastern provinces of the country. In the other sports, Afghans usually play with challengers of neighboring states and sometimes with other Asian countries.

The

King Amanullah Khan, was once used for a venue for public executions by the Taliban government. The stadium is currently used mostly for football matches between teams from different provinces of the country as well as neighboring countries. Basketball has existed in Afghanistan since at least the 1970s, and is slowly becoming popular again. It is played by both Afghan men and women. Additionally, Afghans in the north of the country enjoy the sport of buzkashi
.

Education

Main article: Education in Afghanistan

Lycée Esteqlal, Amani High School, Aisha-i-Durani School, Ghazi High School and Rahman Baba High School. The Ahmad Shah Baba High School and Zarghuna Anna High School are two of the oldest schools in Kandahar
.

Pashto language

Since the country has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world, the United States began establishing a number of Lincoln learning centers to help with this problem and promote American culture in Afghanistan. They are set up to serve as programming platforms offering English language classes, library facilities, programming venues, Internet connectivity, educational and other counseling services. A goal of the program is to reach at least 4,000 Afghan citizens per month per location.

preschool onward. Programs in the show "will be partly filmed in Afghanistan with the rest" lifted from other versions in Muslim countries including Egypt and Bangladesh, as well as Mexico and Russia.[24][25]

Higher education is provided by various

Bakhtar University, and a heap of others. There is also one military college, located in Kabul. Recently with help from UNESCO, over 1,000 women have taken the university entrance exam. As of 2011, about 62,000 students are enrolled in different universities around the country.[20]

Languages

Main article: Languages of Afghanistan

Dari are both the official languages of Afghanistan,[3] although Dari (Afghan Persian) serves as the lingua franca for the majority. People in the northern and central areas of the country usually speak Dari, while those living in the south and east speak Pashto. Afghans living in the western regions of Afghanistan speak both Dari and Pashto. Most citizens are fluent in both languages, especially those living in major cities where the population is multi-ethnic. Several other languages are spoken in their own regions, which includes Uzbek, Turkmen and Balochi.[3]
English is gradually becoming popular among the young generation. There are smaller number of Afghans who can understand Russian, mainly among the northern Tajik, Uzbek and Turkmen groups.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Afghanistan
Blue Mosque (or Shrine of Hazrat Ali) in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif
.

Islam is the main religion of Afghanistan and over 99% of Afghans are Muslims. An estimated 84.7–90% of the population adhere to Sunni Islam, while an estimated 7–15% practice Shia Islam, and approximately 1% are followers of other religions.[26][27]

In addition to Muslims, there are thousands of Afghan

Lashkar Gah
.

Housing

kuchi people live in large tents because they are constantly on the move from one part of the country to another.[33]

Holidays

Afghan armed forces during the 2011 Afghan Independence Day
.

Religious

See also:
Islamic Holiday and Public holidays in Afghanistan

Afghanistan's religious holidays are nearly the same as

Zoroastrians, and others celebrate holidays unique to their respective religion.[35]

Traditional

Farmer's Day, also known as

Persian Calendar.[36]

Nowruz is related to a religion called Zoroastrianism which was in practice in ancient Persia before the emergence of Islam. This festival is to celebrate the arrival of spring as plants, trees, and flowers start to bloom making the weather pleasant. On the day of Nowruz, families usually celebrate the festival by cooking food and going out for a picnic. Families cook various kinds of meals, Samanak, and Haft-mewah or dry fruits that start with the letter (س) or (S) which represents the arrival of spring season. Haft-mewah contains seven dry fruits which families place in warm water two to three days before Nowruz. Samanak is another type of dessert made from wheat and sugar. Women usually get together days before Nowruz to prepare Samanak. They pour the ingredients into a big pot placed on an open fire and take turns to stir the wheat and sugar in the pot before it turns into a thick paste. Once prepared, the dessert is then served on the day of Nowruz.[37]

National

Other

See also

References

  1. ^ "Country Profile: Afghanistan" (PDF). Library of Congress Country Studies on Afghanistan. August 2008. Retrieved 2010-08-16.
  2. ISBN 0-7787-9335-4
    . Retrieved 2010-08-22.
  3. ^ a b c "Article Sixteen of the Constitution of Afghanistan". 2004. Retrieved June 13, 2012. From among the languages of Pashto, Dari, Uzbeki, Turkmani, Baluchi, Pashai, Nuristani, Pamiri (alsana), Arab and other languages spoken in the country, Pashto and Dari are the official languages of the state.
  4. ^ US Library of Congress: Afghanistan - Ethnic Groups (Pashtun)
  5. ^ "MAPS: AFGHANISTAN'S ETHNO-LINGUISTIC GROUPS". Institute For The Study Of War. Retrieved 2010-09-25.
  6. ^ "Map showing ethnolinguistics groups of Afghanistan". National Geographic Society. 2003. Retrieved 2010-09-25.
  7. ^ "First-ever oil paintings found in Afghanistan". CNN. April 24, 2008. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
  8. ^ "World's Oldest Oil Paintings Found in Afghanistan". Fox News. April 24, 2008. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
  9. ^ The Christian Science Monitor: Risky revival of Afghan theater puts women center stage
  10. ^ "It's Bollywood all the way in Afghanistan". The Hindu. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  11. ^ http://www.afghanistan-culture.com/afghanistan-music.html
  12. ^ Classical Dari and Pashto Poets
  13. ^ Afghanmagazine.com – Ustad Khalilullah Khalili – 1997.
  14. ^ Afghanmagazine.com – Kharaabat – by Yousef Kohzad – 2000
  15. ^ Zellem, Edward. 2012. "Zarbul Masalha: 151 Afghan Dari Proverbs". Charleston: CreateSpace.
  16. ^ Zellem, Edward. 2012. "Afghan Proverbs Illustrated". Charleston: CreateSpace.
  17. ^ SPACH: Society for the Preservation of Afghanistan's Cultural Heritage
  18. ^ http://us.skateistan.org/news/afghan-skater-profile-hanifa-qayoumi
  19. ^ "Sports". Pajhwok Afghan News. Retrieved 2011-03-30.
  20. ^ a b c "Education". United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Archived from the original on September 2, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ https://photos.state.gov/libraries/afghanistan/231771/PDFs/RFP-Lincoln-Learning-Centers.pdf
  22. ^ http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/2010/09/ghazni-gov-lincoln-learning-center.html
  23. ^ http://www.army.mil/article/59541/Rising_literacy_in_Afghanistan_ensures_transition/
  24. ^ Farmer, Ben (November 30, 2011). "Sesame Street to be broadcast in Afghanistan". Kabul: The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  25. ^ DeMott, Rick (December 1, 2011). "Sesame Street To Debut In Afghanistan". AWN News. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  26. ^ "Afghanistan". The World Factbook. www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2017-05-17.
  27. ^ "Chapter 1: Religious Affiliation". The World's Muslims: Unity and Diversity. Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project. August 9, 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
  28. ^ Hinduism Today: Hindus Abandon Afghanistan Archived 2007-01-11 at the Wayback Machine
  29. ^ BBC South Asia: Sikhs struggle in Afghanistan
  30. ^ DCDA - the Kabul New City Official Website
  31. ^ "Ghazi Amanullah Khan City". najeebzarab.af. 2009. Retrieved 2011-08-15.
  32. ^ Case study: Aino Mina
  33. ^ Cultural Profiles Project: Afghanistan Family Life[permanent dead link]
  34. ^ Afghanistan Online: Culture - Important holidays/occasions/festivities celebrated in Afghanistan
  35. ^ Afghan Hindus and Sikhs
  36. ^ Lt. j.g. Keith Goodsell (March 7, 2011). "Key Afghan, US leadership plant trees for Farmer's Day". United States Central Command. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
  37. ^ An Introduction to Afghanistan Culture. http://eafghanag.ucdavis.edu/country-info/culture-and-working-locally/Man_Afghan_Culture_CWTI.pdf

External links

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