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When you think of Afghanistan's history, you probably don't think of short skirts, nice cars, and liberal 60s styles, but just as Iran looked very different in the 1970s, these historical pictures show that Afghanistan in the 1960s was a very different country than the one that exists today.
The pictures were taken by American University professor Dr. Bill Podlich, who in 1967 took a two-year leave of absence to work for UNESCO in Afghanistan. He served as the Expert of Principles of Education at the Higher Teachers College in Kabul, and during this time he took many vintage photos of life as it was before the Afghanistan war. The Soviets invaded only a decade later, and Afghanistan was pulled into the war, and following Taliban rule and the US invasion in 2001, the country now bears little resemblance to the peaceful and prosperous nation that you can see in these, now quite sad pictures below.
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#1
Young Photographer At Paghman Gardens
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#2
Students At The Higher Teachers College Of Kabul
#4
Co-education
#5
Afghan High School Girls
#6
Education Under The Trees
#7
Bus Trip
ShaudaySmith 8 years ago
dude in the center looks like he is about to sell us some nice cologne. dem eyes...
#8
Big Sister
#9
Afghan Hound
SarahMcRae 8 years ago
Aw, I have always wanted an Afghan dog since I saw a photo of one when I was younger! They look gorgeous!
#10
Rush Hour
#11
Decorating Cakes
FrankGoodman 8 years ago
It's the Middle East 50+ years ago, what kind of hygiene do you expect?
#12
Sharing Tea & Music
#13
Hanging Out At The American International School Of Kabul (aisk)
#14
Shopping For Scarves
#15
Blonde & Afghans
DianePeters 8 years ago
The way looks they are giving her would make me uncomfortable if I were her.
#16
Aisk Parking Lot
#17
Kabul Gorge
#18
Frying Up Dessert
#19
Bus Driver
#20
Salang Pass Tunnel
#21
Bamiyan Valley
#27
Outdoor Class
#29
Co-education
#30
Gas Station
#35
Afghanistan
ShaudaySmith 8 years ago
for a second i thought this was a light study painting. wonderful colors and depth. the deep shadows are crazy
#39
Sight Seeing
Peggy Moore 8 years ago
That's Dr. Podlich. He's not sightseeing, lol. He is walking home from work.
#41
Dr. Podlich & The Afghans
faiq_sawiz 8 years ago
the guy in the back is wondering why dr. bill wore his pants so high LOL
#44
Bamiyan Buddah Statue
JaneTurnerWhitaker 8 years ago
This makes me so sad. My brother and I climbed to the top of this statue before it was bombed.
#48
Military Band
#51
Shopping For Canned Goods
#55
Masked Parade
#63
Road Work
Carlos Ovalle 3 years ago
This actually looks like they're mixing concrete by hand for use in a construction project behind the photographer. This is a very common occurrence.
#64
New Years Celebration
#66
Afghan Army
#67
The Demonstration
RobertBarrett 8 years ago
One of the best school system in the USA started from this class Harmony School of Innovation
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What do you think ?
ShahzadAhmed 8 years ago
Get your facts right..1960 is before the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and followed by American backed "Jihad" against Communism, which actually produced war lords, drugs and Talibans.
BjornArvidsson 8 years ago
Sadly, that truth is hidden from Americans; how Brzezinski and Carter supported extreme Anti-Russian elements, which became Taliban, how the same "gentlemen" more or less forced The Soviet Union into a reluctant war in Afghanistan (which had the wanted effect of toppling the Soviet Union) Brzezinski said they wanted "to draw the Russian's into the Afghan trap". No, nobody talks of this anymore, just as nobody talks of Cuba before the revolution, the conditions for ordinary Cubans, and how the Trade Embargo effectively destroyed any chance of the revolution succeeding, so that the US can now sit and laugh at the sideline and say"there's communism for you; it doesn't work". But who cares..
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DariaB 8 years ago
I might be wrong, but it kinda looks like such countries as Afganistan and Iran were sacrificed for the sake of the world's dominant political super powers to stay dominant....
BarrySt.Denis 8 years ago
Yes, powerful countries that will not attach each other directly will sacrifice a less powerful country. Such as what happened in Vietnam.
Load More Replies...
ShahzadAhmed 8 years ago
Get your facts right..1960 is before the Russian invasion of Afghanistan and followed by American backed "Jihad" against Communism, which actually produced war lords, drugs and Talibans.
BjornArvidsson 8 years ago
Sadly, that truth is hidden from Americans; how Brzezinski and Carter supported extreme Anti-Russian elements, which became Taliban, how the same "gentlemen" more or less forced The Soviet Union into a reluctant war in Afghanistan (which had the wanted effect of toppling the Soviet Union) Brzezinski said they wanted "to draw the Russian's into the Afghan trap". No, nobody talks of this anymore, just as nobody talks of Cuba before the revolution, the conditions for ordinary Cubans, and how the Trade Embargo effectively destroyed any chance of the revolution succeeding, so that the US can now sit and laugh at the sideline and say"there's communism for you; it doesn't work". But who cares..
Load More Replies... DariaB 8 years ago
I might be wrong, but it kinda looks like such countries as Afganistan and Iran were sacrificed for the sake of the world's dominant political super powers to stay dominant....
BarrySt.Denis 8 years ago
Yes, powerful countries that will not attach each other directly will sacrifice a less powerful country. Such as what happened in Vietnam.
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