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44-562: In Pashto, "landay (LAND-ee) " means "short, poisonous snake," likely an allusion to its minimal length and use of sarcasm. Landays (or landai) often criticize traditions and gender roles. Afghan culture values literature very highly, particularly classical Persian literature and Pashto literature and poetry . Landays were likely brought into Afghanistan by Indo-Aryans around 1700 CE . The short songs became popular among farmers and nomads. Landai are traditionally performed by women. There are few formal properties. Each landay consists of

88-704: A row, the ACC Twenty20 Cup in 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2013. It played against top ranking teams in the 2012 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup and the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 . ts, Afghans usually play with challengers of neighboring states and sometimes with other Asian countries. Islam is the main religion of Afghanistan and over 99.7% of Afghans are Muslims . An estimated 84.7–90% of the population adhere to Sunni Islam , while an estimated 7–15% practice Shia Islam , and approximately 1% are followers of other religions, most prominently Sikhism . In pre-Islamic era, Zoroastrianism and Hinduism and Buddhism had

132-431: A shared language between multiple ethnic groups in the country, has served as a historical lingua franca between different linguistic groups in the region and is the most widely understood language in the country. Dari is spoken by over 75% and functions as the lingua franca , Pashto 48%, Uzbek 11%, English 6%, Turkmen 3%, Urdu 3%, Pashayi 1%, Nuristani 1%, Arabic 1%, and Balochi 1% (2020 est). Data represent

176-504: A single, twenty-two syllable couplet. There are nine syllables in the first lines, and thirteen syllables in the second. In Pashto, the poem ends on a "ma" or "na" sound. The lines do not generally rhyme. They are thought to be related to shloka . Like the couplets of a ghazal , landai in sequence work "independently and sometimes can be grouped with others according to subject matter." Afghan culture The culture of Afghanistan has persisted for centuries and encompasses

220-413: A special room where men socialize with each other known as a hujra . In the major cities, many Afghans live in modern houses or apartments . The nomadic kuchi people live in large tents because they are constantly on the move from one part of the country to another. The nomads of Turkic or Mongol origin in the north tend to live in yurts . The lands of Afghanistan have a long history of art , with

264-683: A strong presence in Afghanistan; in addition, Judaism and Christianity have also had a presence in Afghanistan for over a millennia. Education in Afghanistan includes K-12 and higher education , which is supervised by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education in Kabul , Afghanistan . There are about 10,000 schools of which 4,000 were built in the last decade. More than 100,000 teachers were trained and recruited in

308-408: Is a common phenomenon. The exact figures about the size and composition of the various ethnolinguistic groups are unavailable since no systematic census has been held in Afghanistan in decades. The table below displays estimates of the major languages spoken in Afghanistan per sample statistics: Statistics vary considerably from source to source, the amount of total Dari (L1+L2) speakers tends to be

352-418: Is a mostly tribal society with different regions of the country having their own subculture . Despite this, nearly all Afghans follow Islamic traditions , celebrate the same holidays, dress the same , consume the same food , listen to the same music and use Persian as the inter-ethnic lingua franca to a certain extent. Its culture is strongly tied with elements of Central Asia , which can be seen in

396-526: Is gradually becoming popular among the young generation. There are smaller number of Afghans who can understand Russian, mainly among the northern Tajik, Uzbek and Turkmen groups. Poetry in Afghanistan has long been a cultural tradition and passion. It is mainly in Persian/Dari and Pashto languages, although in modern times it is also becoming more recognized in Afghanistan's other languages. Classic Persian and Pashto poetry plays an important role in

440-533: Is home to more than 40 minor languages, with around 200 different dialects. The Persian or Dari language functions as the nation's lingua franca and is the native tongue of several of Afghanistan's ethnic groups including the Tajiks , Hazaras and Aimaqs . Pashto is the native tongue of the Pashtuns , the dominant ethnic group in Afghanistan. Due to Afghanistan's multi-ethnic character , multilingualism

484-409: Is known for its production of Afghan rugs , traditionally handwoven using a number of well-known and highly-prized patterns. Afghanistan has a wide varying landscape allowing for many different crops. Afghan cuisine is based on cereals like wheat , maize , barley and rice , which are the nation's chief crops. Afghans do not eat spicy food like the neighboring Pakistanis . Fresh and dried fruits

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528-565: Is provided by various universities throughout the country, which include the American University of Afghanistan , Kabul University , Polytechnical University of Kabul , Herat University , Balkh University , Nangarhar University , Kandahar University , Khost University , Bakhtar University , and a heap of others. There is also one military college , located in Kabul. Recently with help from UNESCO , over 1,000 women have taken

572-445: Is related to a religion called Zoroastrianism which was in practice in ancient Persia before the emergence of Islam. This festival is to celebrate the arrival of spring as plants, trees, and flowers start to bloom making the weather pleasant. On the day of Nauruz, families usually celebrate the festival by cooking food and going out for a picnic. Families cook various kinds of meals, Samanak, and Haft-mewah or dry fruits that start with

616-675: Is the most important part of Afghan diet. Afghanistan is well known for its fine fruits, especially pomegranates , grapes , and its extra-sweet jumbo-size melons . Afghan traditional dress typically covers the entire body with a loose top and a form of head covering. The dresses are very colorful, especially women's. The sports in Afghanistan are organized by the Afghan Sports Federation , which promotes football , cricket , basketball , volleyball , golf , handball , boxing , taekwondo , track and field , bowling , skating and several others. Football remains to be

660-463: The Attan , which is considered the national dance of Afghanistan. What is typically heard in the country are folk songs or ballads . Many of the songs are known by almost everyone and have been around for many years. The main traditional Afghan music instruments include: Dari and Pashto are both the official languages of Afghanistan , although Dari (Afghan Persian) serves as the lingua franca for

704-498: The Iranian languages sub-family. Other regional languages, such as Uzbek , Turkmen , Balochi , Pashayi and Nuristani , are spoken by minority groups across the country. Minor languages include: Ashkunu , Kamkata-viri , Vasi-vari , Tregami and Kalasha-ala , Pamiri ( Shughni , Munji , Ishkashimi and Wakhi ), Brahui , Arabic , and Pashai and Kyrgyz , and Punjabi . Linguist Harald Haarmann believes that Afghanistan

748-501: The 1980s, the nation has witnessed several wars so music has been suppressed and recording for outsiders minimal. During the 1990s, the Taliban government banned instrumental music and much public music-making. Many musicians and singers continued to play their trade in the cities of other countries. Pakistani cities such as Peshawar , Karachi and Islamabad are important centers for the distribution of Afghan music. Kabul has long been

792-1035: The Afghan culture. Poetry has always been one of the major educational pillars in the region, to the level that it has integrated itself into culture. Some notable poets include Khushal Khan Khattak , Rahman Baba , Massoud Nawabi , Nazo Tokhi , Ahmad Shah Durrani , and Ghulam Muhammad Tarzi . Some of the famous Persian-language poets and authors from the 10th to 15th centuries are Rumi , Rabi'a Balkhi , Khwaja Abdullah Ansari , Jami , Alisher Navoi , Sanai , Abu Mansur Daqiqi , Farrukhi Sistani , Unsuri , and Anvari . Contemporary Persian language poets and writers include Khalilullah Khalili and Sufi Ashqari. Afghans prize wit and cleverness in speech. "Zarbul Masalha" (pronounced zar-bull mah-sal-HAA) means "proverbs" in Dari , and these zarbul masalha deeply reflect Afghan culture. U.S. Navy Captain Edward Zellem pioneered

836-471: The country has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world, the United States began establishing a number of Lincoln learning centers to help with this problem and promote American culture in Afghanistan. They are set up to serve as programming platforms offering English language classes, library facilities, programming venues, Internet connectivity, educational and other counseling services. A goal of

880-483: The country. The Center for Contemporary Arts Afghanistan (CCAA) in Kabul provides young people to learn contemporary paintings. Ceramics and pottery, of which many tend to be turquoise -colored, are produced in Afghanistan, most famously in the village of Istalif . The art of making carpets has been prominent for centuries. Afghanistan is known for making beautiful oriental rugs. The Afghan carpet has certain prints that make them unique to Afghanistan. Afghanistan

924-413: The cultural diversity of the nation. Afghanistan's culture is historically strongly connected to nearby Persia , including the same religion, as the people of both countries have lived together for thousands of years. Its location at the crossroads of Central , South and Western Asia historically made it a hub of diversity, dubbed by one historian as the "roundabout of the ancient world". Afghanistan

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968-447: The language of the majority. This policy was codified in the 2004 Afghan Constitution , which established Uzbek, Turkmen, Balochi, Pashayi, Nuristani and Pamiri as a third official language in areas where they are spoken by a majority of the population. Since Afghanistan is predominantly located on the Iranian plateau , the majority of spoken languages belong to the family of Iranic languages . Turkic languages are spoken sparsely at

1012-411: The letter (س) or (S) which represents the arrival of spring season. Haft-mewah contains seven dry fruits which families place in warm water two to three days before Nauruz. Samanak is another type of dessert made from wheat and sugar. Women usually get together days before Nauruz to prepare Samanak. They pour the ingredients into a big pot placed on an open fire and take turns to stir the wheat and sugar in

1056-411: The likes of language, cuisine and classical music. Afghan culture is increasingly becoming a dynamic realm of academic study in scholarly terms. In more recent history, Afghan culture has been threatened and fragmented due to the prolonged conflict in the country. Traditionally, only men have been involved in theater acting. Recently, in theater arts, women have begun to take center stage. Since

1100-471: The majority. People in the northern and central areas of the country usually speak Persian/Dari, while those living in the south and east speak Pashto. Afghans living in the western regions of Afghanistan speak both Dari and Pashto. Most citizens are fluent in both languages, especially those living in major cities where the population is multi-ethnic. Several other languages are spoken in their own regions, which includes Uzbek , Turkmen and Balochi . English

1144-401: The most consistent (77-80%). Between sources the amount of L1 speakers of Pashto and Dari vary considerably. With Encyclopedia Britannica estimating that roughly 1/2 of the population of Afghanistan speaks Dari natively, and "more than" 2/5 of Afghanistan speaking Pashto natively. While estimating a lower amount of native Pashto speakers then other sources, Britannica estimates that roughly 20% of

1188-493: The most popular sport across Afghanistan.The Afghanistan national football team was founded in 1922, joined FIFA in 1948 and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 1954. Although it did not play in any international games from 1984 to 2003 due to the war, it is now striving and hoping to make it to FIFA. The Afghanistan women's national football team was formed in 2007. The Ghazi Stadium , which

1232-416: The most widely spoken languages; shares sum to more than 100% because there is much bilingualism in the country and because respondents were allowed to select more than one language. The Turkic languages Uzbek and Turkmen, as well as Balochi , Pashayi , Nuristani, and Pamiri are the third official languages in areas where the majority speaks them. Both Persian and Pashto are Indo-European languages from

1276-633: The north of the country enjoy the sport of buzkashi . Cricket has become popular in recent years in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan national cricket team , which was formed in 1996 during Taliban regime, has held matches against all other international cricket teams since 2001. The Afghan team rapidly rose through the World Cricket League since early 2008. It participated in the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier , 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division One , and 2010 ICC World Twenty20 where they played India and South Africa. The team won four times in

1320-415: The popularity and influence of Bollywood films and songs in the region. The official languages of the country are Dari and Pashto, as established by the 1964 Constitution of Afghanistan . Dari is the most widely spoken language of Afghanistan's official languages and acts as a lingua franca for the country. In 1980, other regional languages were granted official status in the regions where they are

1364-699: The population spoke Pashto as a second language (an estimate higher that most other sources). Britannica also notes that many Pashtuns (particularly in urban areas) speak Dari as their first language, so the quantity of first language speakers is not a reliable indication of ethnicity. Other sources may give higher estimates for L1 Pashto speakers but lower estimates for L2 speakers, and may give varying estimates for Dari depending on whether regional varieties of Dari such as Hazaragi and Aimaq are counted as languages or dialects. Encyclopedia Iranica estimates that 50-55% of Afghanistan speaks Pashto as their native language, but estimates few second language speakers (no estimate

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1408-409: The pot before it turns into a thick paste. Once prepared, the dessert is then served on the day of Nauruz. Languages of Afghanistan Afghanistan is a linguistically diverse nation, with upwards of 40 distinct languages. However, Dari and Pashto are two of the most prominent languages in the country, and have shared official status under various governments of Afghanistan. Dari, as

1452-665: The program is to reach at least 4,000 Afghan citizens per month per location. The military and national police are now provided with mandatory literacy courses. In addition to this, Baghch-e-Simsim (based on the American Sesame Street ) was launched in late 2011 to help Afghan children learn from preschool onward. Programs in the show "will be partly filmed in Afghanistan with the rest" lifted from other versions in Muslim countries including Egypt and Bangladesh , as well as Mexico and Russia . Higher education

1496-546: The public. In recent years, however, Afghans living in rural areas began building their homes using cement and bricks , similar as those built in the big cities. In the north and west they are typically in fortified villages called qalahs ("fortresses"), whereas in the mountainous northern and eastern regions they differ, for example wooden multistoried dwellings in Nuristan. Married sons often share houses with their parents, but with separate quarters. Afghan houses contain

1540-411: The regional cultural capital, but outsiders have tended to focus on the cities of Herat and Mazar-e-Sharif with its Qataghani style. Lyrics across the country are typically in both Dari-Persian and Pashto , Uzbeki , Hazaragi , Hindi , and western style songs and music are also very popular in Afghanistan. Afghans enjoy music by playing many types of instruments. They also enjoy performing

1584-607: The religious minorities of Afghanistan celebrate holidays unique to their respective religion. Farmer's Day, also known as Nauruz (Nowruz), is an ancient annual Afghan festival which celebrates both the beginning of spring and the New Year . The observances usually last two weeks, culminating on the first day of the Afghan New Year, March 21, and corresponds to the first day of the Persian Calendar . Nauruz

1628-472: The same period. It was reported in 2011 that more than seven million male and female students were enrolled in schools. Some of the well known schools in Kabul are Habibia High School , Lycée Esteqlal , Amani High School , Aisha-i-Durani School, Ghazi High School and Rahman Baba High School . The Ahmad Shah Baba High School and Zarghuna Anna High School are two of the oldest schools in Kandahar . Since

1672-410: The university entrance exam. As of 2011, about 62,000 students are enrolled in different universities around the country. Kites and " kite fighting " are highly popular in Afghanistan especially amongst children. Afghanistan's religious holidays are nearly the same as Islamic holidays . Some of the most important include Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan ), Eid al-Adha , Ashura , and Mawlid , while

1716-710: The use of Afghan proverbs as a positive relationship-building tool during the war in Afghanistan, and in 2012 he published two bilingual collections of Afghan proverbs in Dari and English. Birds are the most popular animals that are kept as pets in Afghanistan. In Kabul there is a dedicated daily market selling a wide variety of birds from around the world. The important architectural sites are found in Herat , Mazar-I-Sharif , Ghazni , Qandahar , and Firuzkoh in Ghor Province . The region has made major contributions to

1760-509: The world's architecture . UNESCO has acknowledged Afghanistan's role by declaring the Minaret of Jam and the Buddhas of Bamiyan destroyed in 2001, World Heritage Sites . Houses in rural Afghanistan historically have been made of mudbricks and mud , and have a series of rooms located around a private rectangular courtyard where women and children can move around without being seen by

1804-552: The world's earliest known usage of Buddha 's oil painting found in cave murals in the country. Buddha is from Bihar, Indian. this is drying oil technique used by Indians. Afghan art includes Persian miniature style, with Kamaleddin Behzad of Herat being one of the most notable miniature artists of the Timurid and early Safavid periods. Since the 1900s, the nation began to use Western techniques in art. Abdul Ghafoor Breshna

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1848-613: Was a prominent Afghan painter and sketch artist from Kabul during the 20th century. Afghanistan's art was originally almost entirely done by men, but recently women are entering the arts programs at Kabul University . Art is largely centered at the National Museum of Afghanistan , the National Gallery of Afghanistan and the National Archives of Afghanistan in Kabul . There are a number of art schools in

1892-502: Was built during the reign of King Amanullah Khan , was once used for a venue for public executions by the Taliban government. The stadium is currently used mostly for football matches between teams from different provinces of the country as well as neighboring countries. Basketball has existed in Afghanistan since at least the 1970s, and is slowly becoming popular again. It is played by both Afghan men and women. Additionally, Afghans in

1936-516: Was given, only that the amount of L2 speakers was "less than 10%"). Iranica also estimated 25% of Afghanistan natively speaking Dari but also categorized varieties of Persian spoken in central Afghanistan as different languages as Dari, and gave no estimates to the percentage of non-Dari Persian speakers. Iranica also made no reference to how many ethnic Pashtuns spoke Dari as their first language. A sizeable population in Afghanistan, especially in Kabul , can also speak and understand Hindustani due to

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