Women in miniskirts or walking with arms exposed. School girls. Men and women on leisurely bus rides. This was the reality of Afghanistan in the 1960s, long before a period marked by wars and the control of fundamentalist groups.
The one who portrayed this city with a modern air is professor and amateur photographer Bill Podlich, who documented the country between 1967 and 1969, when he lived in Kabul, the country’s capital.
Podlich was sent by Unesco, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, to teach at the Kabul School of Teachers, where he served as a Principles Specialist education.
The color images are all the stranger as they show a country in which women have had access to culture and information.
The country was again controlled by the extremist Taliban group, which emerged in the context of the Cold War, while the country had been controlled by the Soviets since the late 1970s. The group, initially supported by the United States, has first seized power in 1996.
With anti-corruption rhetoric and in an effort to moralize an allegedly corrupt society, the Taliban have imposed a strict interpretation of “sharia”, Islamic law.
your subscription can be worth even more
Do you already know the advantages of being a Folha subscriber? In addition to having access to reports and columns, you have exclusive newsletters (find them here). You can also download our free app from the Apple Store or Google Play to receive daily news alerts. Your subscription helps us to do quality, independent journalism. Thank you!
your subscription is worth a lot
Over 180 reports and analyzes published every day. A team of more than 120 columnists. Professional journalism that oversees government, disseminates useful and inspiring information, counteracts social media intolerance, and draws a clear line between truth and lies. How much does it cost to help produce this content?
sign the sheet