Afghanistan , magic of fareast
Afghanistan Culture
Lately, the war-torn region of Afghanistan has been in the news for more of the wrong reasons rather then the right ones. However, this was not always so. At one point of time, Afghanistan culture was regarded as one of the most affluent cultures in the world. Like every other region which has some or the other specialties in the world, Afghanistan also had a long list of things it was famous for. These things were integral components of the culture and traditions of Afghanistan.
Afghanistan Culture and Traditions
The landlocked nation is spread over an area of 251,772 square miles in the south-central part of the Asian continent. Though the nation cannot be referred to as gigantic by any means, the vast diversity in the culture of Afghanistan is indeed worth taking a note of. The myriad colors of Afghanistan culture are highlighted by some of the most interesting aspects of the nation.
Religion and Ethnicity
Afghanistan being an Islamic nation, the majority of the population here follow Islam. These people, referred to as Muslims are basically divided into 2 sects - the Sunnis and the Shias. Approximately 80 percent of the Afghans are Sunnis, while 19 percent are Shias. People of other religions, such as Sikhs and Hindus do live in Afghanistan but their number is negligent. As far as ethnicity is concerned the Pashtun or the Pushtus comprise of 42 percent of the population, while Tajiks make up 27 percent, Hazara 9 percent, Uzbek 9 percent, Aimak 4 percent, Turkmen 3 percent and Baloch 2 percent.
Food and Clothing
The geographical diversity of this land-locked nation facilitates the growth of numerous crops, the major ones being wheat, maize, barley and rice. Spices such as saffron, coriander, cardamom, black pepper and mint form an integral part of the cuisine here. Afghan cuisine ranges from Shorba (soup) and Koftas (meatballs) to Qabuli Palao and Saffron rice. The country is also widely known as the producer of grapes and dry-fruits. Traditionally, clothing in Afghanistan was typically characterized by beautiful designs and several colors. However, the rise of a certain section of the society has laid down some strict norms about the dress code in Afghanistan. The males typically wear salwar-kameez, while the females are expected to wear a burqa.
Languages of Afghanistan
Afghanistan has 2 national languages - Dari and Pashto. Dari is the dialect of the Persian language which is widely used in northern and central regions of Afghanistan, while the use of Pashto is more prominent in the southern region of the nation. Other then these two languages, some people also resort to languages like Uzbek, Balochi and Turkmen.
Arts and Music
Afghanistan culture is also quite rich when it comes to arts and literature. Poetry in Persian language has dominated the literary sections of Afghanistan, though other languages are indeed catching up. Similarly, music is also quite popular, with most of the songs being written in both Persian and Pashto languages.
Sports in Afghanistan
As far as sports is concerned, various team as well as individual sports are popular in the country, and the appearances by players from Afghanistan on the world stage are also increasing. Lastly when we talk about sports in Afghanistan, we cannot ignore a traditional sport referred to as Buzkashi which is played on horseback and has great fan following.
If you found this information about the culture of Afghanistan interesting, you should also go through:
As we mentioned earlier, rise of certain sections in Afghanistan has resulted in drastic effects on the nation. Afghanistan culture is undoubtedly the worst hit facet of this war-torn nation. Though life is returning back to normalcy, this is happening at a slow rate and bright days seem to be quite far. Though efforts are being made at the international level, there is nothing much we can do but wait and hope that Afghanistan rises again, as soon as possible.
Link to this page
