Inside Afghanistan
An Interview with Fredrik Hiebert
May 2008 National Building Museum Online
On May 28, the National Building Museum will present the program Afghanistan’s Architectural Legacy, exploring the role of cultural preservation and the Afghani architectural landscape. The lecture will feature Omar Sultan, deputy minister of information and culture for Afghanistan. NBM Online asked Fredrik Hiebert, National Geographic Archaeology Fellow and curator of the exhibition Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul—on display May 25 through September 7, 2008 at the National Gallery of Art—about the history and future of Afghani architecture.
NBM Online: The “silk road” that connected Western Asia with China ran straight through Afghanistan. How did that influence the architecture and culture of the region?
Fredrik Hiebert: People often imagine the long distance trade across Asia (that we know as the "Silk Road") as driven simply by the markets of Rome and China—with little involvement in between. Archaeology in places such as western China, central Asia, and in particular, Afghanistan, however, shows that this is not so. Here at the heart of the trade routes, vibrant markets and towns existed both in Roman and medieval times.
Goods and ideas passed from city to city across Afghanistan creating a wealthy society [that was] unexpected until archaeologists found the remains of these sites. Greek, Roman, Siberian (Scythian), Indian, and Chinese influences can be seen in both the local art and architecture. For instance, a Greek influence is seen in the sculpture and architecture at Ai Khanum in northern Afghanistan. At Begram, Roman, Indian, and Chinese trade goods were discovered in a 2000-year-old warehouse. These objects were likely awaiting transit to markets in the east and west, and north and south, [and provide] a veritable picture-window into the ancient trade.
Most interesting is the gold from Tillya tepe. Though it also features all of the motifs from Greek, Roman, Chinese, Indian, and Scythian art, the golden jewelry appears to be locally made—a true piece “Silk Road" art from 2000 years ago.
NBM Online: The giant Bamiyan Buddhas were some of the best known cultural landmarks in Afghanistan. Why were they built?
Hiebert: Trade and ideas always go hand in hand; this is particularly true for the spread of religions such as Christianity, Buddhism, and Islam. By the 4th and 5th centuries C.E., trade was booming through the rich valleys of Afghanistan and at Buddhist monk-established monasteries.
The cliffs of Bamiyan are composed of soft limestone into which the monks carved caves for dwellings and places of worship. Sometime in the 4th or 5th century C.E. they carved two giant Buddhas—these must have been beacons for traders and travelers [as they were] visible from afar. The giant Buddhas were actually covered in mud plaster which was refreshed every few decades.
In front of the carved cliff a vibrant town existed until the cities of central Asia were destroyed by Ghengis Khan in the 13th century—but life always returned to the Bamiyan Valley. To this day, the valley remains one of the most beautiful, fertile, and vibrant valleys in all of Afghanistan.
NBM Online: The Bamiyan Buddhas were intentionally dynamited and destroyed in 2001 by the Taliban, after the Taliban government declared that they were "idols" (which are forbidden under Sharia law). What is being done to reconstruct the Bamiyan Buddhas?
Hiebert: An international effort to conserve the fragments of the giant Buddhas has been authorized by the government of Afghanistan. The governor of Bamiyan, Habiba Sarabi, is an international spokesperson for the safeguarding of this entire valley as a sort of national park. It has also been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site [and was listed on the 2008 World Monuments Fund 100 Most Endangered Sites.]
Conservation of the fragments is spearheaded by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). Annual international meetings are held by ICOMOS (together with UNESCO and other international organizations) to discuss the most appropriate care for the area. Japanese scholars have analyzed the fragments and cliff paintings and discovered many aspects related to the construction of the Buddhas and even discovered the world’s earliest oil paintings in nearby caves. The most dramatic restorations are performed by Italian mountain climbers who scale the cliffs and install stabilization [rods to help support] the damaged and crumbling cliffs.
NBM Online: The exhibition at the National Gallery of Art will feature a documentary about Ai Khanum. What is the significance of this 2400-year-old city?
Hiebert: The Greek presence in central Asia has been known to historians and coin collectors for centuries. Greek historians described the eastern provinces—modern-day Afghanistan—as rich lands having thousands of cities. The "Greco-Bactrian" coins were renowned as some of the finest coin art in the world. Ironically, no one had found an actual Greco-Bactrian city until the king of Afghanistan, King Zahir Shah, discovered ancient Corinthian columns in northern Afghanistan in 1961.
When French archeologists excavated this site, they found a royal Greco-Bactrian city, where art styles from the classical world were brought in and incorporated into the local art. It is the western classical style of sculpture—with classical faces and depictions of flowing garments—that was incorporated into local Afghan sculpture. So, centuries later, when early Buddhism moved into Afghanistan, the earliest sculptural depictions of the Buddha in Afghanistan look strikingly classical—like Greek gods. This is one of Afghanistan's most distinctive contributions to the art of central Asia.
Dr. Fredrik Hiebert, a National Geographic Archaeology Fellow, has traced ancient trade routes overland and across the seas for more than 20 years. He has led excavations at ancient Silk Road sites from Egypt to Mongolia. He is the curator of the National Gallery of Art’s exhibition Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul. Learn more about Fredrik Hiebert.
The exhibition Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul opens to the public on May 25 and will be on display through September 7, 2008. The exhibition features more than 228 items that date from 2200 B.C.E to the second century B.C.E and reveals Afghanistan’s multicultural heritage. Learn more about the exhibition.
