The traces of the first human inhabitation are found in Afghanistan around thirty millenniums ago. This ancient country has the main attraction of the historic pathway known as “Silk Road” that was the important passage for the human migration in this region. Centuries have gone away; the traditional and nomadic life style of the Afghani people has never changed. Courtesy to the geographic landscape of this landlocked country or to the instinct of self esteem in the Afghan nation, the ancient cultural and traditional values are still alive and preserved in Afghanistan. The main ethnic communities of Afghanistan are Pashtuns and Tajiks while the Hazara and Uzbeks are also significant in number.

The Afghan men wearing the traditional dress - Image: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The Pashtun people feel pride to follow “Pashtunwali” which is actually a non-written ethical codel of life and the rules of this code are part of the lives of the Pashtuns living in Afghanistan and Pakistan and also in some Pashtun communities around the world. The rest of the culture of Afghanistan is being dominated by the Persian and Turk influences. Honor, freedom, bravery and loyalty are the main features of this warrior nation. The tribal culture is a prominent factor of the Afghan lifestyle and there are numerous tribes existing in Afghanistan.

The Afghan folk musicians in their traditional costumes - Jeff Rozwadowski's Image

Having a complex and ancient historical background the traditional dress of Afghanistan has also gone through many variations and fashions. In Afghanistan, cotton and wool have remained the dominant fabrics used for dressing; however, for preparing the expensive dresses, rugs and carpets, silk was also an important raw material.

Afghan women wearing the traditional dresses - Asian Art Museum

For the last three decades, the Taliban Afghans have imposed strict clothing regulations as the women had to wear long dress with a trouser as well as a Burqa on top to cover them from the head to the ankle. Men also had to wrap a hat or turban around their heads and keeping a long beard. Although the Afghan people have started to dress up with the clothing of their own choice for the last one decade, however, still in the particular areas of Taliban, the situation is not changed.

The Afghan ladies wearing the traditonal Burqa - Naeem Azizian's Image

Nevertheless, the traditional dress of Afghanistan was very tremendous and elegant; especially the traditional women attire is so unique for its beautiful embroidery which is mostly handmade.

The traditional Afghan fabric - Zohalii Image

The women usually wear a long dress which is made with cotton fabric with a combination of various colors. For the lower part of the body, they use matching pants along with a head kerchief, a purse and a flat pair of shoes called Paizar.

An Afghan model presenting the traditional look - Mustafa Qazi's photo

As this country has remained a region of long lasting warfare, the invaders have also penetrated with the infliction of their own cultures.

A beautiful Afghani girl in exotic traditional costume - sar-kelandi's image

Presently, the women of Afghanistan prefer to wear shirts with jeans or a “Shalwar Kameez” dress pretty much similar to Pakistani style. We can also see the women wearing a long ankle length skirt with a matching headdress.

An Afghan girl showing her traditional Afghan necklace - Mustafa Qazi's Image

For the outer clothing, especially in winter, the women wear the loose sleeveless and hip-length jackets.

An Afghani bride - AFGHANISTAN PASHTUNISTAN's Image

The traditional dress for Afghan men is usually “Shalwar Kameez” which is also known as “Perahan Turban”. The dress is very popular as the large portion of the men population in Afghanistan wears this attire. The Afghan men wear “Shalwar Kameez” as their casual and also for their formal clothing. The dress is normally made with cotton and polyester but it can be made with the woolly fabric in winter. The new trends of decorating the dress with embroidery on the chest part and on the collar side are also very common. The Afghan men also use a “Waistcoat” worn over this dress to give their dress more dignified look.

An Afghan man wearing the traditional turban - Martien van Asseldonk's Image

Ther Afghan men also use diferent types of hats like turban, karakul, pakol, topi, kufi, and a chapan (coat). Occasionally some men wear or wrap a keffiyeh on their head.

A traditional Afghan man wearing the Pakol Cap - Ornella Bagnato

The Afghan men in Kandhar also wear a traditional Kandhari cap which is simialr to Sindhi Topi worn in the province of Sindh, Pakistan.

An Afghan boy wearing the Kandhari Cap - From Afghanistan With LoveÙ‘

In short, the traditional dress of Afghanistan is a phenomenal part of the cultural heritage of Afghanistan.

Some Afghan girls dancing in a cultural show wearing the traditional costumes - Chantalina

For more interesting posts with the same subject on the Lovely Planet, please click the following links;

The Lovely Planet has enormous human population full of biological variations and races. These variations include traits such as skin color, eye color, hair color and texture, height and built, and cranial features varying clinally across the globe. In this series naming Women of the Lovely Planet, we hereby present before you a collection of the women portraits from different parts of the world. This is the part 1 of the series.

1- An Afghani Woman in Kabul – Afghanistan

An Afghani Woman: Image by Martien Van Asseldonk (Location : Kabul)

2- An Australian Lady in Leiden, Australia

An Australian Lady in Leiden, Australia ( Photo: Ricardo Liberato )

3- A Pretty Austrian Girl ( Austria )

A Pretty Austrian Girl ( Image by Noiseroute )

4- A Girl from Bangladesh

A Girl from Bangladesh ( Image by David Lazar )

5- A Glorious lady of Belarus

A Glorious lady of Belarus in Kchowa (Image: Jenya Korn )

6- A Kenyan Woman  ( Location:Kenya )

A Kenyan Woman (Image: Bioversity International) Location:Kenya

7- A women from Bosnia and Herzegovina

A women from Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Photo: Soroptimist International )

8- A Beautiful British Lady in London

A Beautiful British Lady in London (Photo by Damian De La Ferra)

9- A Danish Girl in Denmark

A Danish Girl in Denmark ( By: Bentborn )

10- The Maltese Girl ( Malta )

The Maltese Girl (Malta) By: FotoBlu

11- A cute Chilean Lady from Chile

A cute Chilean Lady ( Matt.JP's Image captured in La Habana )

12- A Chinese woman in Kunming, China

A Chinese woman in Kunming, China (Dave Stamboulis Image)

13- A Croatian woman in her traditional dress

A Croatian woman in her traditional dress ( Image: angusforbes )

14- A portrait of a Cuban lady – Cuba

A portrait of a Cuban lady (By: Romtomtom)

15- A beautiful girl of Cyprus

A beautiful girl of Cyprus ( Image: Istanbul mike )

16- An exotic image of a girl of Finland

An exotic image of a girl of Finland (Som Sol' flickr)

17- An awesome French girl ( France )

An awesome French girl (Photo: markfoster999)

18- A Lady from Germany

A Lady from Germany ( Photo: Eddy Van 3000 )

19- A girl in the traditional Guatemalan dress – Guatemala

A girl in the traditional Guatemalan dress ( Image by Rafael Magallanes Quintanar )

20- From Haa Valley in  Bhutan:  A Bhutanese Lady

From Haa Valley in Bhutan, A Bhutanese Lady (Photo:rpb1001)

21- A Hungarian girl in traditional dress – Hungary

A Hungarian girl in traditional dress ( Image by Tibor Aknay )

22- A gorgeous Indian girl in the traditional clothing – India

A gorgeous Indian girl ( Image by Joe Routon )

23- An Indonesian woman (Image by Alex Saurel)

An Indonesian woman (Image by Alex Saurel)

24- A woman of Iran

A woman of Iran (Image: Aria Mehr)

25- An Israeli Woman- Israel

An Israeli Woman ( Image :Marisa Ross )

26- A Jamaican woman ( Jamaica )

A Jamaican woman ( Jamaica ) Image: Kevin Williams

27- A Japanese Girl (Japan)

A Japanese Girl (Japan) - Image: Andrew Murray

28- A girl of Jordan

A girl of Jordan ( Image: Joao Lucio Azevedo Filho )

29- A Kazakh lady in her cultural dress (Kazakhstan)

A Kazakh lady in her cultural dress (Kazakhstan- Image by Jonathan Newell)

30- A Latvian woman in her traditional dress- Latvia

A Latvian woman in her traditional dress (Image: Gatis Staprens)

31- A Lebanese woman ( Lebanon )

A woman from Lebanon (IPS Inter Press Service's Image)

32- A girl from Liberia

A girl from Liberia ( Photo: Bob Richards )

33- A Libyan woman in her traditional dress- Ghadamis , Libya

A Libyan woman in her traditional dress- Ghadamis ( Image: Eric Lafforgue )

34- A Lithuanian girl in traditional dress- Lithuania

A Lithuanian girl in traditional dress (By: Londonietis)

35- A Malaysian lady in her traditional clothing – Malaysia

A Malaysian lady in her traditional clothing ( Image : Mohd Mustakhim Noor Rehan )

36- A Moroccon woman – Morocco

A Moroccon woman ( Image: Jack Wickes )

37- A Burmese girl – Myanmar

A Burmese girl - Myanmar ( Image: Diane Wolkstein )

38- A Namibian girl of Himba Tribe – NAMIBIA

A Namibian girl of HIMBA TRIBE - NAMIBIA ( Image by Eric Lafforgue )

39- A young Tonag girl, near Binga, Zimbabwe

A young Tonag girl, near Binga, Zimbabwe

40- An indigenous Nepalese girl from Nepal

An indigenous Nepalese girl ( Image by Tim Webster )

Buzkashi is the favorite sport of the gallant horse riders of Central Asia, Afghanistan and Northern Pakistan. This is the national sport of Afghanistan in which the players undergo tremendous practice and exercise to play this valiant game. Like Polo, Buzkashi is also played on horseback and it is thought that Buzkashi was played for the first time in the Oxus basin. A participating horse in Buzkashi must fast and furious. There are two types of horses that are deemed ideal for Buzkashi. The “Qataghan” is a sturdy pony which is famous for being a strong and gusty nature. The other species is larger and is raised in the steppes of Faryab and Balkh. Both breeds are used in Buzkashi. Only male stud horses are used in the game.

Buzkashi: The National Sport of Afghanistan ( United Nations Photo )

Buzkashi is the sport of warriors and the traditional Buzkashi may last for several days. However, according to the Afghan Olympic Federation, the match of Buzkashi is restrained to one and half hour. The play ground with a square layout is selected for Buzkashi and each team consists of 10 riders each. The match consists of two halves and the duration of each half is 45 minutes. Only five riders from each team can play in a half and with the permission of the match referee a rider can be substituted during the game. The rider (or team) who is able to pitch a dead calf across a goal line first wins. The carcass to be used in Buzkashi is gutted and soaked in water 24 hours before the game starts. This is done so the carcass stays together and won’t be torn to pieces.

An Exquisite Snapshot of a Buzkashi Player ( Courtesy: flickr )

The goal of a player is to grab the carcass of a headless goat or calf and then get it clear of the other players and pitch it across a goal line or into a target circle or vat. The kit of the Buzkashi player includes thick turbans, quilted shirts, long boots and wind strong scarves around their waists. The horses which are used for Buzkashi are pretty expensive and they have to go through many hardships and tough trainings. They are fed with special diet including edible grains but before the day of the match the horses are kept hungry for a longer portion of a day and run daily for longer distances. Normally the Buzkashi player is called Chapandaz who also practice very hard for this game and an expert Chapandaz is normally a player of the age of more than forty years. Because the experience is also considered the most important feature of an excellent Chapandaz along with his anomalous physical trainings.

The traditional Buzkashi ( Image : Pouria Lotfi )

The winning team of the Buzkashi match is awarded with heavy money prizes along with fine turbans and traditional clothes. These all are managed by a sponsor or sometimes fundraising is also arranged by the lovers of this game. Buzkashi, the sport of warriors runs in the blood of the Afghan people and they love this traditional sport passionately. Perhaps this is one of the very few sports of the world in which power, danger, genius and technique are equally exhibited.

Shalwar Kameez is the popular and traditional dress of men and women of South Asia. This dress is also worn in some states of Central Asia. Shalwar Kameez or Shalwar Qameez is long attire which normally goes below the knees. For men it is a two piece dress, shalwar (trousers) with Kameez (Long tunic shirt) and for women it is a three piece dress, i-e Shalwar (trousers also known as the pajama), Kameez (top which is also known as kurta) with Duppata (Scarf). This is the national dress of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Embroidered Kameez for Men

According to the historians, this dress was introduced by the invaders from Central Asia during their warrior activities in the Indian sub continent. With the passage of time, Shalwar Kameez became the most popular outfit which is now used by a large population of Pakistan, Afghanistan and India.

A model in beautiful Shalwar Kameez Dress

Shalwar Kameez has gone through many variations especially during the last century. In the start of the twentieth century, the women usually wore a short Kameez that was somewhere between the hip and the knee. The Shalwar then was widely flared with a narrow horizontal band at the end. But after 1970’s Shalwar Kameez was introduced with numerous designs and stitched on tremendous patterns. During the summer, Shalwar Kameez is liked in silk and in cool cotton fabric. While in winter Satins and heavy brocade work is applied on Shalwar Kameez.

A routine Men's Shalwar Kameez dress

For men, Shalwar Kameez is wide spread from top to bottom in which the Kameez is kept very loose with full sleeves, cuff from front sleeve part and wide collar with pocket on front left side. The length of Kameez or Kurta is usually up to or more than knee. There are long slits on both sides. Normally it is straight from chest to bottom. There is a strap on front with 3-4 buttons after collar. The Shalwar is wide and long up to feet with wide bottom. The men prefer Shalwar Kameez having pockets on both sides.

A beautifully designed women Shalwar Kameez dress

Shalwar Kameez, the popular dress in South Asia is considered as an easy and comfortable attire as compare to the other traditional dress known as Sari or Saree. The Shalwar is comparatively easier to carry out so this dress is preferred and is a favorite among the younger generation. Crepe, cotton, silk, georgette and even jute and khadi are materials that are preferred while choosing a Shalwar Kameez. On the festive occasions, people love to wear Shalwar Kameez which are often enriched with beads, threads and zari work. In men this dress is also very much popular and nowadays the Kameez or Kurtas are adorned by tremendous embroidery and sequence work.

Markhor , the national animal of Pakistan, a large specie of wild goat is an indigenous mammal of Afghanistan , Pakistan ( Gilgit Baltistan , Hunza Nagar Valleys and Kashmir regions ) , some parts of North India , Southern Tajikistan and Southern Uzbekistan. The Markhor is biologically known as Capra falconeri a noun which literally means “large Himalayan goat with large spiraled horns”. But it is commonly known as Markhor which is a Persian name and can be described as ; “Mar” means the snake and “Khor” means the eater. This name is given as some myth attributed to Markhor for its ability to kill the snake. Or some refer to it due to its amazingly curled around horns.

Markhor , the national animal of Pakistan. Image : MickiP65 for Flickr

Physically Markhor can attain an approximate length of 140 to 190 cm and they can gain the weight from 35 to 100 KG. The shoulder height can be from 65 to 115 cm. The Male Markhor has longer horns and beard as compared to female. The length of the horns of male Markhor can be up to 160 cm while up to 25 cm in female Markhor. The Markhors sexually attract their females by their typical aroma. The Gestation Period of Markhors can be 135 to170 days. They are sexually mature at 18 to 20 months and their normal life span is between 12 to 14 years. The diet of Markhor include grass and leaves as they are general grazers like other wild goats. In the summer and spring season they can get their diet easily while in winter they browse for their nourishment.

The World Conservation Union ( IUCN ) has declared the Markhor in their endangered list. The Markhors are considered a scattered specie with uncertain distribution however they are found significantly in number in Pakistan where it is a highly-valued trophy species. The Government of Pakistan is issuing 2 to 3 licenses for trophy hunting and the trophy license is sold for as much as 18, 000 US $. The money is being spent for the welfare of the locals. This rare animal Markhor, the national animal of Pakistan is terribly in the danger of extinction. The illegal hunting , the US Afghan war effects and the use of sophisticated weapons is causing the removal of this wonderful specie from our lovely planet. The lust for getting their precious horns as a matter of prestige by the illegal hunters and negligence by the local authorities to preserve their natural habitat are the major factors that can result in the permanent deletion of the Markhors from the mother earth.

* Watch the following video , how this rarest specie is being killed by the hunters. We request through this forum to the Government of Pakistan to impose a complete ban on the hunting of Markhor , the national animal of Pakistan.