Preserving Afghanistan’s Heritage: Culture as a Foundation for National Identity and Development

Speech in the inauguration ceremony of the UNESCO Cultural Fund for Afghanistan

Keypoints: 

• Historical Identity: Afghanistan’s millennia-old history forms national identity.
• Cultural Heritage: Preserving historic sites, mosques, and manuscripts connects citizens to their past.
• Civilizational Legacy: Afghanistan has long been a crossroads of civilizations and knowledge.
• Islamic Contribution: Islamic culture shaped education, science, and arts in Afghanistan.
• Language and Unity: Recognizing all national languages strengthens unity and diversity.
• Youth and Education: Teaching history and culture empowers the next generation.
• Economic Potential: Cultural heritage can generate jobs, income, and tourism.
• UNESCO Partnership: Collaboration supports preservation, education, and cultural development.
• Global Message: Afghan culture conveys connectivity, cooperation, and peace.
• Sustainable Development: Integrating culture, education, and economy strengthens nation-building.

Madam Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, honorable members of the Cabinet, honorable Ambassadors, dear sisters and brothers, Peace be upon you all!

A nation is built upon history, and a nation that does not know its own history will forget itself. For this reason, today is a profoundly happy day. Alongside the measures we have taken for state-building, economic momentum, and creating an active market, we are now accelerating the fundamental work of strengthening a nation possessed of a great history.

Afghanistan as the Historical Crossroads of Asia

We have a history spanning several thousand years. Why is this history important? What was our past that gives us a unique characteristic, and how does it relate to our future? For thousands of years, we were the crossroads of Asia, famously known as the Silk Road. But the Silk Road was not just one path; it was many "Silk Roads." Whichever city of Afghanistan you looked at, it had various gates—at least four, and some had six. Each gate was named after a city, near or far. One of the gates of Herat was the Iraq Gate, and one of the gates of Kabul was the Lahori Gate. Every city in Afghanistan had a market known as a Chaharsu (crossroad), because four main roads and avenues converged there. We have always looked from the inside out and stayed connected with the outside from within.

Look at what Babur writes about Kabul. He says East and West, North and South, China and Rome, India and Persia... all meet here. Whoever comes to Kabul does not need to go elsewhere, because this is the meeting place of all. For this very reason, though he died in Delhi, his body was brought back to Kabul.

Ancient Connectivity and Financial Systems

Throughout history, our cities were points of connection, and our nomads (Kochi) were the greatest means of that connection. In Kolkata, India, there is still a market where people speak exclusively in Pashto. Nizhny Novgorod was a vital economic, scientific, and cultural center in Russia and the Volga-Vyatka region; even that distant point on the Volga was a means of connection. Six hundred years ago, and even thousands of years before that, we had no need for the physical transfer of money—the Hawala system connected us all.

The Synthesis of Islamic Civilization and Identity

The turning point of our history came when the holy religion of Islam integrated all our past civilizations within the framework of a fundamental analysis and transformed the identity of 99.9% of our people. But it wasn't just that Islam was brought to us. The people of Afghanistan gave direction to the Abbasid Revolution twice. First, without Abu Muslim Khorasani, the Abbasid civilization would have been impossible; second was the culture of Taher Fushangi, who took Baghdad for Al-Ma'mun and established a system of translation and communication for a hundred years.

Our Islamic culture was a culture of synthesizing civilizations. It was we who disseminated the numbers—known today as Arabic numerals—from India to the Middle East and then to the entire world. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to know that we are the heirs of a civilization and belong to a culture that has always been a point of unity, not a point of division. This message must go from Afghanistan to the whole world, and we must be able to preserve our historical identity.

National Unity and Linguistic Diversity

The fact is, every major city in Afghanistan was once the center of an empire. Balkh, Baghlan, Samangan, Bamiyan, Herat, Kandahar, Kabul, and smaller principalities in Paktia, Nangarhar, and elsewhere... all the people of Afghanistan participated here. Our languages are the basis of our richness and our national unity.

By the grace of God, we are a country that recognizes all our languages as national languages in our Constitution. We are not a mono-lingual nation, but we are a single nation—a nation that values its identity so much that it considers each of its languages part of its great culture and has given every sub-identity a high place within the framework of "Afghanhood."

The Cultural Trust Fund and Institutional Support

For this reason, as the UNESCO Cultural Trust Fund for Afghanistan begins today, Afghanistan's initial share was $75,000. However, we express our gratitude to Mr. Hakimi, the Minister of Finance, who increased this share tenfold today, turning it into $750,000. We truly thank Mr. Hakimi.

Restoration of Historical Mosques and Architecture

Where will our work begin? The first task we will start—which I will describe in detail at the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan—is the restoration of the great historical mosques of Afghanistan. Our mosques are the points where the state, the nation, and the private sector all come together. The heritage we have, especially from the Timurid era, is a magnificent one. The Great Mosque of Herat is an example, and the Blue Mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif was established during the same period. This is our starting point. We hope to restore a portion of Afghanistan’s great historical mosques every year. In building new mosques, where our people take a great share by the grace of God, the architecture should always reflect our history so that we do not forget the legacies of Helmand, Sistan, and Farah.

Inspiring the Next Generation through Scientific Heritage

Let us not forget that Zaranj was the throne of Rostam; his mother was from Kabul and his son from Samangan. Therefore, a large part of the Shahnameh took place in Afghanistan. Our most important focus in creating this fund is for the Afghan child. The Afghan son and daughter must know what kind of manuscripts and what kind of personalities this land possesses. Who were the men and women of this Afghanistan, and why are they their heirs?

A thousand years ago in Ghazni, Al-Biruni said several things: first, he said the Earth revolves around the Sun, not vice versa. Second, he calculated the Earth's diameter correctly to two decimal places. Third, he was the only person who argued based on logic that "America" must exist. Thus, science is a major part of this culture, just as literature, poetry, and art are. Mathematics, Algebra—the word "Algebra" in all languages is taken from Arabic [via our scholars]. Afghan children must know they are being raised in a country whose previous generations presented a long history with great honor and prestige. This country will exist for thousands of years more, and in the coming years, Afghan children will once again present those values to the world.

The Afghan Origins of the Dari Language

Regarding language, great work is also needed. Malek o-Sho'ara Bahar, the great Iranian poet, shows in his history of literature that the Dari language began in Afghanistan, because at that time in Iran, the Pahlavi language existed. It is called "Dari" because it was used as the language of the court (Darbar) near Baghdad, which was the capital. We need to understand our history to shape our future.

Economic Impact of Culture and Tourism

My final point is this—and I thank Madam Bokova for her remarks—as she said, today culture and economy are intertwined. The greatest damage we see today comes from the smuggling of our historical artifacts. We lose hundreds of millions of dollars every year. The work we have started with UNESCO is not only about preserving culture; culture creates jobs. As we discussed, 29 million people in the world work in the "cultural industry"—a new term for industries that rely on history and culture. This number is greater than those active in global automobile production.

Today, people might wonder about the economic benefit; but believe me, tomorrow, in a stable Afghanistan committed to the Constitution and democracy, God willing, millions of people from our neighbors and the whole world will come to see our historical sites. Like India, Turkey, Egypt, and Mexico, these sites can be a massive source of revenue. This carries a great message specifically for our women, as we can create much work in fields ranging from jewelry to producing works inspired by the past but oriented toward the future.

Education and Global Cooperation

I again thank Madam Bokova and UNESCO’s cooperation. Our emphasis is that since UNESCO is involved not only in culture but also in education, the books an Afghan child reads from now on should narrate a broad vision. They should give the Afghan child the confidence that as a Muslim, they are the heir to a great culture and civilization—a civilization that should never feel inferior or in conflict. They represent a country that, with its great culture, believes in freedom and freedom of expression, and above all, believes that regional and global cooperation is to the benefit of all.

Conclusion and Acknowledgments

I thank all colleagues and specifically Dr. Kogo-Isokat. He is my friend and a person committed to Afghanistan. I thank the UNESCO staff who have worked here, in Bamiyan, Ghazni, Herat, and also those working with us at Mes Aynak. Since their role is now one of absolute cooperation and coordination, I hope we will take great steps together.

Long live Afghanistan! Tel de wi Afghanistan! Zende bad Afghanistan!