The winter landscape around the deep, blue mountain lakes of Band-e-Amir in the central Afghan province of Bamiyan presents an arresting spectacle empty of people - but the absence of visitors is costing locals dearly. After two decades of war and facing its worst economic crisis, the collapse of Afghanistan's vestigial tourism industry might almost go unnoticed. View of Band-e Amir river in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, December 23, 2021. REUTERS/Ali Khara But Band-e-Amir, about 3,000 metres (9,840 feet) above sea level and a couple of hours' drive from the Buddhist sites of Bamiyan, usually attracts thousands of visitors a year seeking respite from the conflict. All that changed last year as the Taliban swept through one province after another, culminating in the shock overthrow of ...
Read MoreTag: Afghanistan
Eighteen-year old Fatima Sultani gazes at the peak of a mountain near Afghanistan’s capital Kabul after completing a morning climbing session, considering her next challenge. She and her team of nine young Afghan mountaineers, including three women, are hoping to climb Afghanistan’s Mir Samir mountain and after that travel to Nepal to summit the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest. Fatima Sultani (C), a member of Hikeventures mountaineering team and her teammates during an exercise on a mountain at the outskirts of Afghan capital Kabul. REUTERS/Mohamamd Ismail “My main goal is to show the world that Afghan women are strong and can do the most challenging work that men do,” she said. “When I became aware that women from foreign countries come here to conquer high peaks I thought ....
Read More
You must be logged in to post a comment.