Taliban exhibits rocket launchers, bombs alongside artefacts in Afghanistan museum
In the one-room museum located in Balkh province, within the renowned Blue Mosque of northern Mazar-i-Sharif city, twin display cases hold mementos chronicling the Taliban's two-decade insurgency until 2021.
FollowIn a museum in Afghanistan's Mazar-i-Sharif, alongside antique Korans and ancient Afghan coins, visitors can witness rocket launchers and homemade bombs, serving as artefacts commemorating the Taliban's triumph over foreign forces. "It doesn't have any old history, but it all played an important role in the victory," museum director Abdul Qayum Ansari was quoted as saying by AFP. "This has exceptional meaning for the people."
In the one-room museum located in Balkh province, within the renowned Blue Mosque of northern Mazar-i-Sharif city, twin display cases hold mementos chronicling the Taliban's two-decade insurgency until 2021.
Ansari, the museum curator, emphasizes the prohibition against photographing or filming the exhibits, noting that the visiting AFP team is the first group of journalists authorized to visit in over two years.
Among fragments of pottery and porcelain, a yellow barrel of explosives stands prominently alongside a red Honda motorbike encased in glass, supporting a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.
The curator, sporting a beard, explained to AFP that the bike was utilized for transportation by the Mujahideen (fighters) during the war and combat, while the weapon was deployed against war machines such as tanks.
A few Afghan men browsed through the relics. However, Afghan women are prohibited from visiting, as authorities have banned them from entering the Blue Mosque complex since the Taliban regained control.
Ansari noted that the section of the museum dedicated to war artefacts receives the highest number of visitors, indicating its popularity among the public.
He emphasized that the Taliban authorities aimed for the museum to stand out, suggesting that additional rooms could be utilized to showcase other intriguing wartime items.
Unfortunately, the collection of antiquities from earlier periods is limited. Despite Mazar-i-Sharif's historical significance as a crossroads with Central Asia, much of its cultural heritage fell victim to plunder during Afghanistan's tumultuous conflicts.
Since reclaiming power in August 2021, the Taliban government has marked significant events such as the withdrawal of US forces and the overthrow of the foreign-backed administration through military displays and literary events.
Simultaneously, the Taliban has displayed a keen interest in establishing diplomatic relations with foreign countries and gaining official recognition from other states.
The reasons behind the authorities' reluctance to showcase the modest exhibition remain unclear. However, Ansari believes it merits broader visibility and recognition.
"From my personal point of view, pictures should be taken of it," Ansari told AFP. "All the world must see it, our people must see it."
"I have personally requested that we must have a special museum for the conquest and the victory," he added.
