Photos Of Afghanistan's Past: Modernity Lost - Morning Edition

The Afghanistan of Mohammad Qayoumi's memory is far from that of a "broken 13th century country," as it was recently described by British Defense Secretary Liam Fox.

Qayoumi, now a university president in America, grew up in Kabul in the 1950s and '60s. It was a period of calm and prosperity — and even optimism — before the Soviet invasion.

And thanks to a batch of vintage photos, Qayoumi has opened a window into that world with a photo essay recently published in Foreign Policy. The images depict a world that is slick, modern — even Western.

Those were the days before the country was ruled according to strict Islamic principles, although religion was part of Afghanistan's culture. "I think Islam was always important, but the level of zealousy was never there," Qayoumi says.

"From the 1880s to 1978, Afghanistan was a very stable country, which had only six rulers," Qayoumi says, "which is far more stable than most European countries in that era."

Of course, Afghanistan's history also includes many eras of conflict and destruction, from the empire of Alexander the Great to the Arab conquests, and more recently, to occupations by Britain and the Soviet Union. ..... - Listen to the Story

Photos Of Afghanistan's Past: Modernity Lost
Once Upon a Time in Afghanistan...