Istalif: Difference between revisions
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'''Istalif''' is a village about 18 miles northwest of [[Kabul]], [[Afghanistan]],situated on {{coord|34.8403|N|69.1000|E|}} at 1693 m altitude.It is the center of [[Istalif District]], in the [[Kabul Province]],[[Afghanistan]].The village have been fully destroyed during the longlasted wars around the capital [[Kabul]].There are a few repaired or newly constructed buildings. The village needs a lot of work to be done to return its previous state. Istalif is famous for its handmade glazed potteries. |
'''Istalif''' is a village about 18 miles northwest of [[Kabul]], [[Afghanistan]],situated on {{coord|34.8403|N|69.1000|E|}} at 1693 m altitude.It is the center of [[Istalif District]], in the [[Kabul Province]],[[Afghanistan]].The village have been fully destroyed during the longlasted wars around the capital [[Kabul]].There are a few repaired or newly constructed buildings. The village needs a lot of work to be done to return its previous state. Istalif is famous for its handmade glazed potteries. |
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Istalif lies to the north of Kabul in the Koh Daman, a valley ringed by barren hills dotted with villages nestled within green orchards. The road to Istalif is breathtakingly beautiful, and at times the road narrows down passing through the mud walls and cliffsides that surround it. It is one of the largest, most ancient of all the valleys, boasting as having hosted kings and diplomats of the world including Alexander the Great. |
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Located at the Shamali Plains, the area is famous for over 100 verities of grapes. The popular believe is that its name has been derived from the Greek word for “grape”, from when Alexander the Great first visited the place. The Takht ("throne") was a favourite picnic spot of Babur Shah (King). The village is famous for its colourful glazed pottery and it is now possible to see the potters at work. |
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Istalif has been in the wrong place too many times. In 1842, British forces burned Istalif to the ground, killing an estimated 4,000 inhabitants and demolishing buildings and trees. Rebuilt, Istalif became the tourist town of the 1970s and the site of the king’s summer house. There was a swimming pool on a hill with a pump to bring water from underground springs. After Soviet occupation of 1979 and years of war that followed, many citizens were forced to flee. A sign at the city's entrance used to read, "Welcome to the burned city." |
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For centuries, the potters of Istalif have worked from their homes, where they trained their young ones. Often the grandfather was the mentor and the sons the apprentous, while the women did the decorative work. Today, the return of the potters has helped revived this ancient craft. Istalif is in the process of being rebuilt and once again the rich turquoise and green glazes bring out the wonderful shapes of the pottery. |
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By 2003, still no serious NGO (non-governmental organization) projects or funds had been allocated to Istalif, because funds were going to areas of greater population. Ira and Sylvia Seret along with Abdul Ahmad Istalifi, a friend of 40 years who had remained in Kabul during the entire war years, and one of his sons Ali, who was living in London, began brainstorming a plan to revive the heart of Istalif. |
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The main marketplace, once the center of the local economy right near the main mosque, was a street of rubble and ruin. The Jindhag Foundation, funded the rebuilding of the 120 shops with the intention of reviving the heartbeat of the local economy. |
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After a year of planning, Abdul and Ali came to agreements with the village elders and owners of the former shops. However, estimates for demolition of the old walls and removal of rubble nearly doubled the budget. Abdul and Ali made it clear that with the villagers help with these tasks, funds could stretch to rebuild the entire 120 shops. |
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Ali wrote the following in a report dated September 12, 2004: |
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Things are looking great in Istalif. The work on the shops is active and everyone is working so hard to beat the winter. There is such an energy here and it is so touching that this project has brought so much hope and happiness to the people of Istalif who have suffered so much hardship. Every day begins with prayers, followed by breakfast, grapes with bread and green tea followed by work. |
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You see young guys to old men and even some very young boys cleaning rubble and putting them on the backs of donkeys as if you are watching a place that has been like this for thousands of years. By the end of this week about 20 shops will be finished and by next week another twenty. We are giving the villagers the old bricks to use for rebuilding their own houses. I see a confidence building in the people since the project has started. |
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Within six months, by the following spring, the shops were up and running and thousands of villagers returned to rebuild and resettle in their homes. Ali summed up the effects of the project, "When you have reconstruction in the middle of the village market in front of everyone’s eyes, it has a huge psychological impact on the people. The rebuilding of the local marketplace gave many families the encouragement they needed to return." |
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Families of potters went back to their art of shaping beautiful pottery that is fired in huge wood burning kilns. Tourists also began returning by the hundreds on weekends to take in the scenery and shop for pottery. In 2007, the Jindhag Foundation sponsored a booth at the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market that brought Istalif pottery to the U.S. for the first time. |
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In seeking to restore a village that had a great cultural and artistic tradition, this project identified a strength — the beautiful pottery tradition that dates back several thousand years — and focused on helping make it possible for people to once again capitalize on that. Nurturing traditional art not only helps economically but also helps people reclaim their cultural identity, a vital lifeline in a time of war and transition to modernity. |
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While Istalif has come far in the last few years, the Jindhag Foundation continues to identify basic needs including a clinic and doctor as well as things as small as providing packing materials to the potters so that their precious wares are protected in shipping. While the success of the last few years has been step in the right direction, there still remains a great deal of work to be done in Istalif. |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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Revision as of 11:28, 2 October 2008
Istalif | |
|---|---|
| Country |  Afghanistan |
| Province | Kabul Province |
| District | Istalif District |
| Time zone | UTC+4:30 |
Istalif is a village about 18 miles northwest of Kabul, Afghanistan,situated on 34°50′25″N 69°06′00″E / 34.8403°N 69.1000°E at 1693 m altitude.It is the center of Istalif District, in the Kabul Province,Afghanistan.The village have been fully destroyed during the longlasted wars around the capital Kabul.There are a few repaired or newly constructed buildings. The village needs a lot of work to be done to return its previous state. Istalif is famous for its handmade glazed potteries.
Istalif lies to the north of Kabul in the Koh Daman, a valley ringed by barren hills dotted with villages nestled within green orchards. The road to Istalif is breathtakingly beautiful, and at times the road narrows down passing through the mud walls and cliffsides that surround it. It is one of the largest, most ancient of all the valleys, boasting as having hosted kings and diplomats of the world including Alexander the Great.
Located at the Shamali Plains, the area is famous for over 100 verities of grapes. The popular believe is that its name has been derived from the Greek word for “grape”, from when Alexander the Great first visited the place. The Takht ("throne") was a favourite picnic spot of Babur Shah (King). The village is famous for its colourful glazed pottery and it is now possible to see the potters at work.
Istalif has been in the wrong place too many times. In 1842, British forces burned Istalif to the ground, killing an estimated 4,000 inhabitants and demolishing buildings and trees. Rebuilt, Istalif became the tourist town of the 1970s and the site of the king’s summer house. There was a swimming pool on a hill with a pump to bring water from underground springs. After Soviet occupation of 1979 and years of war that followed, many citizens were forced to flee. A sign at the city's entrance used to read, "Welcome to the burned city."
For centuries, the potters of Istalif have worked from their homes, where they trained their young ones. Often the grandfather was the mentor and the sons the apprentous, while the women did the decorative work. Today, the return of the potters has helped revived this ancient craft. Istalif is in the process of being rebuilt and once again the rich turquoise and green glazes bring out the wonderful shapes of the pottery.
By 2003, still no serious NGO (non-governmental organization) projects or funds had been allocated to Istalif, because funds were going to areas of greater population. Ira and Sylvia Seret along with Abdul Ahmad Istalifi, a friend of 40 years who had remained in Kabul during the entire war years, and one of his sons Ali, who was living in London, began brainstorming a plan to revive the heart of Istalif.
The main marketplace, once the center of the local economy right near the main mosque, was a street of rubble and ruin. The Jindhag Foundation, funded the rebuilding of the 120 shops with the intention of reviving the heartbeat of the local economy.
After a year of planning, Abdul and Ali came to agreements with the village elders and owners of the former shops. However, estimates for demolition of the old walls and removal of rubble nearly doubled the budget. Abdul and Ali made it clear that with the villagers help with these tasks, funds could stretch to rebuild the entire 120 shops. Ali wrote the following in a report dated September 12, 2004: Things are looking great in Istalif. The work on the shops is active and everyone is working so hard to beat the winter. There is such an energy here and it is so touching that this project has brought so much hope and happiness to the people of Istalif who have suffered so much hardship. Every day begins with prayers, followed by breakfast, grapes with bread and green tea followed by work. You see young guys to old men and even some very young boys cleaning rubble and putting them on the backs of donkeys as if you are watching a place that has been like this for thousands of years. By the end of this week about 20 shops will be finished and by next week another twenty. We are giving the villagers the old bricks to use for rebuilding their own houses. I see a confidence building in the people since the project has started.
Within six months, by the following spring, the shops were up and running and thousands of villagers returned to rebuild and resettle in their homes. Ali summed up the effects of the project, "When you have reconstruction in the middle of the village market in front of everyone’s eyes, it has a huge psychological impact on the people. The rebuilding of the local marketplace gave many families the encouragement they needed to return."
Families of potters went back to their art of shaping beautiful pottery that is fired in huge wood burning kilns. Tourists also began returning by the hundreds on weekends to take in the scenery and shop for pottery. In 2007, the Jindhag Foundation sponsored a booth at the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market that brought Istalif pottery to the U.S. for the first time.
In seeking to restore a village that had a great cultural and artistic tradition, this project identified a strength — the beautiful pottery tradition that dates back several thousand years — and focused on helping make it possible for people to once again capitalize on that. Nurturing traditional art not only helps economically but also helps people reclaim their cultural identity, a vital lifeline in a time of war and transition to modernity.
While Istalif has come far in the last few years, the Jindhag Foundation continues to identify basic needs including a clinic and doctor as well as things as small as providing packing materials to the potters so that their precious wares are protected in shipping. While the success of the last few years has been step in the right direction, there still remains a great deal of work to be done in Istalif.
External links
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