Something that I read or something I saw but it was said that everything in Afghanistan begins with the building of a wall. I hate to plagiarize and I really wish I could find that source to site as well as to perhaps tell me some of the background behind this particular part of the landscape of Kabul. I read so much in my preparation of coming to Afghanistan and even watched a movie that shared a bit of history of Kabul. The book and accompanying movie is banned here so I do not feel like I should post its name.
I am a history buff for those that do not know. Looking at the history of Afghanistan one can only think that, much like walls around castles in England and Europe it is part of the Afghan history. Unlike the castles who are crumbling one by one the walls remain in Kabul. Kabul and Afghanistan have long been a vital link between east and west. A link that was fought for rather heavily, at times dating back to the earliest days of written history. War was and is part of the culture and culture shapes climate as we learned in organizational history. Famous names such as Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great have all set foot in Afghanistan. The walls of Kabul could have protected from such a warring history. The walls in Kabul are not necessarily, however, to protect from the dangers of war. They are not blast walls as have I have read are becoming hated by many in so many countries which are needed but not necessarily liked security feature of new architecture. These are much less solid and would only slow down a modern day attacker. They might stop a round or two or better yet a stray round but as a former military guy I know they would only slow down a modern day weapons equipped soldier or insurgent for just a few moments.
The walls today are, however, there mostly to keep others out. Crime is here, or so they tell me. When you have economic conditions such as these you can only expect that some are forced to stealing to eat. This weekend I will try and take pictures as I am out and about. Before I left though, I saw the pictures online, in various blogs of which there are many, in the written and tv news but it is not the same. To see it first hand is the only way to feel it. You certainly feel the fact that the average salary is around 47 dollars a month and even doctors only make 80 dollars a month.*
As bad as it is outside though, the walls are very effective the city’s crime from entering. . Therefore walls continue to be a part of the Kabul landscape. They are most often high and you cannot even really tell what is beyond them except for some of the taller buildings. My guesthouse is a two story building that from the road you can barely make out the roof. We have a couple of taller buildings around us that I can make out a bit more especially from the courtyard area of Park Place but from the street you barely see one level or so of those buildings. To enter you must pass through a very heavy gate that I mentioned earlier and I am told that like ours many are guarded so one would have to get past a guard as well to enter the building. Only those that live there, authorized University personnel, and house staff are allowed through our gate. Likewise due to recent incidents in Kabul we are not allowed out either. That is without an approved travel plan, a driver, and an escort. That is a recent thing in the last few weeks. Prior to that folks could leave in pairs and walk around but now we cannot. I am not feeling like a caged animal yet though.
Well that is all for the day. Two posts in one day. WOW. I am sure the posts will trail off as I get busier and busier and one day when I start running out of things to say.
(*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Afghanistan)
(*http://www.vitalstatistics.info/search.asp?keyword=Afghanistan)
I am a history buff for those that do not know. Looking at the history of Afghanistan one can only think that, much like walls around castles in England and Europe it is part of the Afghan history. Unlike the castles who are crumbling one by one the walls remain in Kabul. Kabul and Afghanistan have long been a vital link between east and west. A link that was fought for rather heavily, at times dating back to the earliest days of written history. War was and is part of the culture and culture shapes climate as we learned in organizational history. Famous names such as Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great have all set foot in Afghanistan. The walls of Kabul could have protected from such a warring history. The walls in Kabul are not necessarily, however, to protect from the dangers of war. They are not blast walls as have I have read are becoming hated by many in so many countries which are needed but not necessarily liked security feature of new architecture. These are much less solid and would only slow down a modern day attacker. They might stop a round or two or better yet a stray round but as a former military guy I know they would only slow down a modern day weapons equipped soldier or insurgent for just a few moments.
The walls today are, however, there mostly to keep others out. Crime is here, or so they tell me. When you have economic conditions such as these you can only expect that some are forced to stealing to eat. This weekend I will try and take pictures as I am out and about. Before I left though, I saw the pictures online, in various blogs of which there are many, in the written and tv news but it is not the same. To see it first hand is the only way to feel it. You certainly feel the fact that the average salary is around 47 dollars a month and even doctors only make 80 dollars a month.*
As bad as it is outside though, the walls are very effective the city’s crime from entering. . Therefore walls continue to be a part of the Kabul landscape. They are most often high and you cannot even really tell what is beyond them except for some of the taller buildings. My guesthouse is a two story building that from the road you can barely make out the roof. We have a couple of taller buildings around us that I can make out a bit more especially from the courtyard area of Park Place but from the street you barely see one level or so of those buildings. To enter you must pass through a very heavy gate that I mentioned earlier and I am told that like ours many are guarded so one would have to get past a guard as well to enter the building. Only those that live there, authorized University personnel, and house staff are allowed through our gate. Likewise due to recent incidents in Kabul we are not allowed out either. That is without an approved travel plan, a driver, and an escort. That is a recent thing in the last few weeks. Prior to that folks could leave in pairs and walk around but now we cannot. I am not feeling like a caged animal yet though.
Well that is all for the day. Two posts in one day. WOW. I am sure the posts will trail off as I get busier and busier and one day when I start running out of things to say.
(*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Afghanistan)
(*http://www.vitalstatistics.info/search.asp?keyword=Afghanistan)
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