Monday, May 30, 2016

Tierney James- A Look at the Romance of Afghanistan

Afghanistan Anyone?

Afghanistan has inspired my romantic dreams for as long as I can remember. A book by M.M. Kaye TAfghanistan | Portrait of Kyrgyz girl. | ©Matthieu Paley. "Forgotten on the Roof of the World - Afghanistan's Pamir. | Pamir at over 14,000 feet, some 1150 Afghan Kyrgyz live here, suspended in time, trapped by history: he Far Pavilions, helped with that journey into geography. The sad part is most people don't hold my attraction or even a tiny ounce of curiosity about a war torn country. Until we sent troops in, most Americans wouldn't have been able to locate it on a map. Someone once said, "War is God's way of teaching us Postcard Image from Afghanistan, Turkmen Nomad from Northern Afghanistan, Ikat cloth...: geography." I have to agree. However there are many things you don't know about the country. I hope you'll check out my pinterest board https://www.pinterest.com/ptierneyjames/enigma-3-rooftop-angels/ to check out some interesting photos. Buzkashi match in Afghanistan. Buzkashi (literally "goat dragging" in Persian) or kokpar is the Central Asian sport in which horse-mounted players attempt to drag a goat or calf carcass toward a goal. It is the national sport of Afghanistan, although it was banned under the Taliban regime.:

So why have #3 in the Enigma Series travel to Afghanistan? My father gave me a National Geographic magazine with a story about the Kyrgyz people of Northern Afghanistan. I was captivated.   https://youtu.be/yaks of AfghanistanYMV3UE6d20M is a great introduction from YouTube that will help you get an idea of what it is like living on the roof of the world. I hope you'll watch it. I think I've watched most of the videos and read several books on Afghanistan. I want to share with you the raw beauty of this country. The national sport of Afghanistan is Buskaski you see here at the right. They use the carcass of a goat or calf and try to score points by reaching a goal. It is wild! You can find that on YouTube as well.

Kabul is the capital and is 3500 years old. Think of the history and culture. Central Asia continues to mystify me. My bookshelf looks like I'm a part timeThe magnificent Blue Mosque at Mazar e Sharif, in Herat, North Afghanistan, believed to be the burial ground of Ali Ibn Abi Talib, cousin and son in law of the Prophet Muhammad, and Islam's fourth caliph. Mazar-e-Sharif means "Tomb of the Exalted.": travel guide or maybe working for the CIA. Sometimes I think I know Afghanistan,: more about what is going on over there than the politicians. Do you? It pays to find out. Start with pinterest and see where your imagination leads you. This week I'll be posting some interesting things about Afghanistan. Hopefully you'll become a fan.

 

 

A yurt: