At this point, the only thing Afghanistan is known for is the fact that it's the home of the Talibans and that the war there is becoming increasingly difficult for the Coalition forces. Still, there is more to the country than meets the eye, at least as far as historical sites go. Since war broke out in 2002, various archaeological sites throughout the country have come under increased pressure from looters and thieves, who have stolen tons of priceless artifacts in order to sell them to the highest bidder on the Western markets.
“It's like a sickness that kills us slowly. Every day, we lose a bit more of our cultural heritage,” the Director of the National Museum of Afghanistan, Omara Khan Masoudi, says. But now there may yet be some reason to rejoice, as the British government has decided to return more than 3.4 tons of ancient relics to the Afghan people. The artifacts have been confiscated at the London Heathrow Airport, over a period of six years, and they could only be returned with the help of the National Geographic Society and the British Red Cross.
The collection in itself is very extensive, comprising more than 1,500 pieces of Afghanistan's history. Stone tablets, ancient tools, various vessels and containers and other religious items are all included in it. Some of the artifacts may be as much as 8,000 years old, while most are 2,000 to 3,000 years old. After a cargo plane landed in Kabul with its precious cargo, the items have been taken to the National Museum, where they are currently being sorted.
They will be displayed as soon as possible, as the Museum's own collection was severely decimated following the civil war. In 1993, a missile struck the institution and many waves of looters followed afterwards. Priceless collections were stolen altogether, and they probably adorn now the inner walls of some private collector's vault. During the robberies, the National Museum of Afghanistan lost approximately 70,000 artifacts, most of which were being stored in a deposit.
“Traditionally, our work has focused on protecting human beings and ensuring their health and well-being. However, there has been increasing recognition of the deleterious effect on civilian populations when their cultural sites and property are destroyed,” representative Michael Meyer, from the Red Cross UK chapter, explains about the involvement of the organization.
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