Attack on the Green Zone in Kabul
In 2009, while visiting Kabul, I was astonished by the fortifications that had arisen around a large swathe of land comprising the US Embassy, NATO headquarters, the Presidential Palace, key ministries...
View ArticleA visit to Nur Agha the kitemaker
Today I took a few hours off work to visit the master kite maker, Nur Agha, son of Bejo, the famous Kabuli kite maker. One of his friends, Zilgai, owner of a few kite shops in Shor Bazaar, agreed me …...
View ArticleAfghan Urban Housing Dilemma
When we visited the mayor’s office during my last trip to Kabul, the deputy mayor, a great fan of Persian poetry, lamented the fact that all the houses currently being built in Kabul are of the...
View ArticleSecurity through integration, not isolation
The news of the bombing of La Taverna du Liban, a Lebanese restaurant in Kabul, reached me while I was following a pre-deployment course for a EU mission in Libya. I think I knew Kamal, the owner of...
View ArticleKabul rising and getting high, 2013
Today I guided a Dutch architect researching urban developments in Kabul. After fixing the roaming internet connection on his Apple computer in a record time – praise be to the helpfulness and tech...
View ArticleRich and Poor on the Outskirts of Kabul
Today we first went to visit the new city of Omid-e Sabz. It is located improbably far from the city center, about 10 minutes drive West of Darulaman Palace, and close to the southeastern rim of...
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