Among the dusty busy streets of Kabul, there are dozens of shops, these shops hold within many different forms of imported merchandise. However, the shops that are most prominent in these crowded streets are the ones who sell kite-running supplies. The art of Kite- running is one whose roots extend back to the ancient times. Kite running is an event that is practiced in Kabul by an array of all ages; it employs a series of procedures and techniques that can be used for optimum performance. The concept of kite running is aggressively flying your kite and using the glass-coated string to cut the strings of your opponent’s kites, the last kite in the air is the winner. However, there is more to this art than most realize.
Kite flying is more than a pastime in Afghanistan it is a cultural obsession. For most of the citizens, inhabiting the city of Kabul, kite running is a form of religious expression. It is a way for the Afghan population to express their country’s culture, and at the same time preserve a sense of honor in the household. The first-born son of a family, typically the oldest is the one who participates in the kite running competition. He is responsible for building and flying the kite of the family. If he wins the competition, he brings home not only the honor glorifying his name and household, he contributes to the preservation and cultural significance that is kite running.
Kite running was a form of culture in Afghanistan, until the merciless takeover of the Taliban. The Taliban belief shunned the ideals of kite running, thus banning all forms of the sport permanently. Local kite storeowners would still sell kites during the days of the Taliban, but that everywhere it was done in secret. “During the Taliban, if a scout from the Taliban government found an area where there was kite running of any kind, all of the kites, spools etc. would immediately be destroyed and the store owner thrown in Amribelmaroof (prison)." This quite frequently was the case during this time. After the fall of the Taliban Government in Afghanistan kite running almost immediately returned, this time even stronger than ever. The sport was now practiced by women and younger siblings rather that the traditional first-born son. For the first few years after kite running was brought back as an acceptable event, some Afghan groups participated for the sole purpose of revenge against the Taliban belief. Those who participated in kite running for pure cultural and religious gain however frowned upon this.
Still today, Kite Running is a past time in Afghanistan. The skies above Kabul are decorated each day with hundreds of colorful kites fluttering in the wind, shops selling kite running supplies flourish as the sport continues to grow.
Kite flying is more than a pastime in Afghanistan it is a cultural obsession. For most of the citizens, inhabiting the city of Kabul, kite running is a form of religious expression. It is a way for the Afghan population to express their country’s culture, and at the same time preserve a sense of honor in the household. The first-born son of a family, typically the oldest is the one who participates in the kite running competition. He is responsible for building and flying the kite of the family. If he wins the competition, he brings home not only the honor glorifying his name and household, he contributes to the preservation and cultural significance that is kite running.
Kite running was a form of culture in Afghanistan, until the merciless takeover of the Taliban. The Taliban belief shunned the ideals of kite running, thus banning all forms of the sport permanently. Local kite storeowners would still sell kites during the days of the Taliban, but that everywhere it was done in secret. “During the Taliban, if a scout from the Taliban government found an area where there was kite running of any kind, all of the kites, spools etc. would immediately be destroyed and the store owner thrown in Amribelmaroof (prison)." This quite frequently was the case during this time. After the fall of the Taliban Government in Afghanistan kite running almost immediately returned, this time even stronger than ever. The sport was now practiced by women and younger siblings rather that the traditional first-born son. For the first few years after kite running was brought back as an acceptable event, some Afghan groups participated for the sole purpose of revenge against the Taliban belief. Those who participated in kite running for pure cultural and religious gain however frowned upon this.
Still today, Kite Running is a past time in Afghanistan. The skies above Kabul are decorated each day with hundreds of colorful kites fluttering in the wind, shops selling kite running supplies flourish as the sport continues to grow.
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