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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Young Photographer At Paghman Gardens
Fair enough. Yet you forget to mention that Taliban was funded by CIA to pull country to war. Look at today's Libya, Iraq, Syria - any questions?
you told us " before " taliban. But taliban mean " student ". Afghanistan have school, college and university. So, this is before the URSS and the USA invasion. Please, don't lie about the war. We need the reality, not the propaganda of the west. Afghanistan people are great and strong. Many unknow group ( al-quaïda, ISIS ... ) enter in the country since the break of the borderline for Killing and stealing. The afghan people are not terrorist and know what mean " Taliban ". Peace for all human on the earth.
These girls are daughters of Dr. Podlich. That is why they don't look like Afghan girls. But it does NOT ruin the meaning of the photo. Nowadays, even as an American girls, they couldn't be dressed like this. That is why the picture is so powerful. Just for the record (and for the grouches in the comments).
Thinking of how Afghanistan is today...these pictures make me angry. Imagine living there now and being old enough to remember when...
you told " before " taliban..... are you seriously ? Taliban mean student, so, Afghanistan have School, college, university in 60. This is Before the URSS and the USA Invasion... don't lie about the war please. We need the reality, not the Propaganda of the West.
Yep the US backed the taliban to hurt Russia in Afghanistan....pretty much what Rambo 4 was about
Afghanistan was never a prosperous country. There was subtle game of receiving aid from the russians and the USA. Police was trained by germans . The king Zaher shah from the most powerful tribe the Pachtounes, manaeged to stay a couple af decades in power. Then a pro communist party came to power but called the soviet for backing his governement you know what happened !
Amazing how communism and the Taliban destroyed such a beautiful, happy, and prosperous culture. :(
All because the let that wizened up old ayatolla rule them, probably not spelled his title right but he buggered it all up for those people, now they are living in the old mud huts type of life where women are not worth as much as a donkey.
that was where our potable water came from. The gardens were a picnic destination.
These are white Euros taking photos, not natives. The dress of others at far left is evident.
yeah but they are showing their bodies which they wouldn't be allowed to do now. So still different.
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Students At The Higher Teachers College Of Kabul
Co-education
Afghan High School Girls
Education Under The Trees
Bus Trip
dude in the center looks like he is about to sell us some nice cologne. dem eyes...
Big Sister
Afghan Hound
Aw, I have always wanted an Afghan dog since I saw a photo of one when I was younger! They look gorgeous!
Rush Hour
Decorating Cakes
It's the Middle East 50+ years ago, what kind of hygiene do you expect?
Sharing Tea & Music
Hanging Out At The American International School Of Kabul (aisk)
Shopping For Scarves
Blonde & Afghans
The way looks they are giving her would make me uncomfortable if I were her.
Aisk Parking Lot
Kabul Gorge
Frying Up Dessert
Bus Driver
Salang Pass Tunnel
Bamiyan Valley
Outdoor Class
Co-education
Gas Station
Afghanistan
for a second i thought this was a light study painting. wonderful colors and depth. the deep shadows are crazy
Sight Seeing
That's Dr. Podlich. He's not sightseeing, lol. He is walking home from work.
Dr. Podlich & The Afghans
the guy in the back is wondering why dr. bill wore his pants so high LOL
Bamiyan Buddah Statue
This makes me so sad. My brother and I climbed to the top of this statue before it was bombed.
Military Band
Shopping For Canned Goods
Masked Parade
Road Work
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.
New Years Celebration
Afghan Army
The Demonstration
One of the best school system in the USA started from this class Harmony School of Innovation
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.
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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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....
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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I would dare say that if you posted pictures of America in the 1950's, particularly our inner cities Vs. today, it would look like we had been invaded and ravaged by war. Unfortunately our downfall has come at the hands of our own Government in many instances, not all, but some and many of our own citizens who would rather oppose each other than unite and fix this plague.
Is no one noticing the headscarves and the separation of the sexes? Nowhere near the nightmare of today, but it wasn't exactly the swinging 60's either!
In the sixties separation of sexes was everywhere. Western world and everywhere else...oh and headscarves as well. For instance in The Netherlands: http://neon.pictura-...FA006007899.jpg
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have you ever read some history!!??? All your pictures were possible thanks to comunism. It allowed women to study. USA supported radical islamic warriors to fight against all this progress
The Soviets invaded because American-backed Jihadists were threatening the progressive socialist government - and they eventually brought it down.
Yes, the Americans generally DID NOT support communist regimes. In hindsight, the Communists were probably was the lesser of two evils.
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Totally agree, Ahmed. Since 60's the traditional order of the muslin world was deeply impacted by international political game.
Thats the difference between religion and religious fanaticism. All religions are good for manking if understood as tool for freedom and peace. No religious fanaticism is good for people. Period.
Finally someone who doesn't just blame religions and stops there. But I think same goes for politics. And just a personal preference - "fullstop" sounds more powerful than "period".
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Soviet Union was stupid to get pulled into this trap, but even when they were there, they didn't act inhuman. Look at the cars that are in the photos! They are all of the Soviet make! What happened after Americans INVADED?! They brought chaos, more drugs into the market and more Talibs running around! So much for the s****y "democracy"!
These pictures are very interesting. I love traveling back through time to see what life was like during that time!
Feeling sad for Afghanistan. One moment for Afghanistan before America Invasion
What is it about this website that attracts so many conspiracy theorists?
And then someone said "pfft, we don't need a "wall of separation" between church and state!"
So very wrong and misleading, just like the referenced article about Iran. You probably mean well but these photos do not depict Afghan life and culture in the '60s. Photo #18 (four Afghan males surreptitiously glancing at the blond woman in western attire) is the only one that, actually, tells it like it was and still is: Afghans have never embraced the western culture.
Afganistan was never nice, they killed from 80 milion to 400 milion Indians to steal Indian lands and to make Islam go to India mmmkey
they not even conected by land. how afghan want to invade india ?
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Why the f**k are Russians always demonised? Although stories of them killing and raping civilians in villages is true, why is this called a war-crime while when the Americans did the same thing in Vietnam, it was just a "mistake". When US soldiers do the same s**t, people always bring the same old line about how war is chaotic and that they were drafted from their homes and were only following orders. WHAT THE F**K!! Which army in the f*****g world doesn't follow orders? And when the Russians went and killed civilians on the streets of Eastern European countries in reaction to anti-Communist protests there was such a big bang about it. "WAR CRIME!! WAR CRIME!!". But when the US army marched into Vietnam and in the present day the Middle East and actually bombed civilians, it's just a "mistake". War in chaos and so on. Neither the soldiers or the military industrial complex were charged with war crimes. What the f**k is this?
This isn't afganistann before Taliban .. it's afganistan before America 'helped' it overthrow a legitimate communist govt....
See this if you want to know more about these photos. http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2013/01/28/podlich-afghanistan-1960s-photos/5846/
The photos were taken of the urban elites who, in the 1960s, were very Westernized either via the UK or via Russia. There was always a Pashtun peasantry that rejected such foreign ways. In this respect, Iran and Afghanistan were the same: westernized urban elites vs. rural Islamic conservatives. In Turkey and Malaysia, the urban elites won. In Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, they lost.
Never will be like that again...beautiful memories. Why they don't have people power to chased these Muslim fanatics and rebuild their country back to glory days.
Seeing the part of the world dominated by the Islam I only see decline, barbarism, overpopulation, and various ways of opression. Afganistan is not unique at all.The people living in these countries should open their eyes, and try to look for the reasons of their own decline of their culture instead of pointing their fingers to scapegoats. Otherwise it won't be ever any better.
Afganistan stole part of their lands from India, killing from 80 milion to 400 milion Indians, Afganistan was never nice mmmmkey
afghanistan was officially secular with a constitutional monarchy who permitted political organizations such as two marxist/socialist ones to exist. this continued throughout the 60's and into early '78, yielding a mixture of city women in miniskirts studying at universities to rural conservative life. however the communist organizations he allowed to operate repayed the favor with violent revolution and murderous repression basically forcing many into refugee camps in iran and pakistan while resorting to extreme governance by marxist leninist pograms driving afghan society into the arms of religious extremists-LONG before america got involved militarily. then the maxist camp split in two with one callng for soviet interventon. the soviet invasion was the major cause for plunging afghanistan into backwardness
The country, people and culture looks pretty depressing in most of these pictures, too. Overrated.
This is what happens when religious extremists take over. The Taliban interprets their religious texts in very literal and stringent ways, called for the overthrow of the shah, and took over. The result is what you see today.
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.
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... 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....
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... I would dare say that if you posted pictures of America in the 1950's, particularly our inner cities Vs. today, it would look like we had been invaded and ravaged by war. Unfortunately our downfall has come at the hands of our own Government in many instances, not all, but some and many of our own citizens who would rather oppose each other than unite and fix this plague.
Is no one noticing the headscarves and the separation of the sexes? Nowhere near the nightmare of today, but it wasn't exactly the swinging 60's either!
In the sixties separation of sexes was everywhere. Western world and everywhere else...oh and headscarves as well. For instance in The Netherlands: http://neon.pictura-...FA006007899.jpg
Load More Replies... have you ever read some history!!??? All your pictures were possible thanks to comunism. It allowed women to study. USA supported radical islamic warriors to fight against all this progress
The Soviets invaded because American-backed Jihadists were threatening the progressive socialist government - and they eventually brought it down.
Yes, the Americans generally DID NOT support communist regimes. In hindsight, the Communists were probably was the lesser of two evils.
Load More Replies... Totally agree, Ahmed. Since 60's the traditional order of the muslin world was deeply impacted by international political game.
Thats the difference between religion and religious fanaticism. All religions are good for manking if understood as tool for freedom and peace. No religious fanaticism is good for people. Period.
Finally someone who doesn't just blame religions and stops there. But I think same goes for politics. And just a personal preference - "fullstop" sounds more powerful than "period".
Load More Replies... Soviet Union was stupid to get pulled into this trap, but even when they were there, they didn't act inhuman. Look at the cars that are in the photos! They are all of the Soviet make! What happened after Americans INVADED?! They brought chaos, more drugs into the market and more Talibs running around! So much for the s****y "democracy"!
These pictures are very interesting. I love traveling back through time to see what life was like during that time!
Feeling sad for Afghanistan. One moment for Afghanistan before America Invasion
What is it about this website that attracts so many conspiracy theorists?
And then someone said "pfft, we don't need a "wall of separation" between church and state!"
So very wrong and misleading, just like the referenced article about Iran. You probably mean well but these photos do not depict Afghan life and culture in the '60s. Photo #18 (four Afghan males surreptitiously glancing at the blond woman in western attire) is the only one that, actually, tells it like it was and still is: Afghans have never embraced the western culture.
Afganistan was never nice, they killed from 80 milion to 400 milion Indians to steal Indian lands and to make Islam go to India mmmkey
they not even conected by land. how afghan want to invade india ?
Load More Replies... Why the f**k are Russians always demonised? Although stories of them killing and raping civilians in villages is true, why is this called a war-crime while when the Americans did the same thing in Vietnam, it was just a "mistake". When US soldiers do the same s**t, people always bring the same old line about how war is chaotic and that they were drafted from their homes and were only following orders. WHAT THE F**K!! Which army in the f*****g world doesn't follow orders? And when the Russians went and killed civilians on the streets of Eastern European countries in reaction to anti-Communist protests there was such a big bang about it. "WAR CRIME!! WAR CRIME!!". But when the US army marched into Vietnam and in the present day the Middle East and actually bombed civilians, it's just a "mistake". War in chaos and so on. Neither the soldiers or the military industrial complex were charged with war crimes. What the f**k is this?
This isn't afganistann before Taliban .. it's afganistan before America 'helped' it overthrow a legitimate communist govt....
See this if you want to know more about these photos. http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/2013/01/28/podlich-afghanistan-1960s-photos/5846/
The photos were taken of the urban elites who, in the 1960s, were very Westernized either via the UK or via Russia. There was always a Pashtun peasantry that rejected such foreign ways. In this respect, Iran and Afghanistan were the same: westernized urban elites vs. rural Islamic conservatives. In Turkey and Malaysia, the urban elites won. In Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, they lost.
Never will be like that again...beautiful memories. Why they don't have people power to chased these Muslim fanatics and rebuild their country back to glory days.
Seeing the part of the world dominated by the Islam I only see decline, barbarism, overpopulation, and various ways of opression. Afganistan is not unique at all.The people living in these countries should open their eyes, and try to look for the reasons of their own decline of their culture instead of pointing their fingers to scapegoats. Otherwise it won't be ever any better.
Afganistan stole part of their lands from India, killing from 80 milion to 400 milion Indians, Afganistan was never nice mmmmkey
afghanistan was officially secular with a constitutional monarchy who permitted political organizations such as two marxist/socialist ones to exist. this continued throughout the 60's and into early '78, yielding a mixture of city women in miniskirts studying at universities to rural conservative life. however the communist organizations he allowed to operate repayed the favor with violent revolution and murderous repression basically forcing many into refugee camps in iran and pakistan while resorting to extreme governance by marxist leninist pograms driving afghan society into the arms of religious extremists-LONG before america got involved militarily. then the maxist camp split in two with one callng for soviet interventon. the soviet invasion was the major cause for plunging afghanistan into backwardness
The country, people and culture looks pretty depressing in most of these pictures, too. Overrated.
This is what happens when religious extremists take over. The Taliban interprets their religious texts in very literal and stringent ways, called for the overthrow of the shah, and took over. The result is what you see today.
