Stunning Color Photos That Show Everyday Life in 1960s Afghanistan

In the late 1960s, Afghanistan was a very different place from what many people imagine today. Dr. William Podlich, an American educator, moved to Kabul in 1967 with his family. He worked as an expert for UNESCO at the Higher Teachers College. His job was to help improve education in the country. At the same time, his wife Margaret and their two daughters, Peg and Jan, settled into life in Kabul.

The Podlich family lived in a peaceful and modernizing Afghanistan. The daughters attended the American International School of Kabul. This school served children of foreigners working in the country. Life there felt calm and full of promise. Dr. Podlich, who loved photography, captured everyday moments during their stay. His photos show a side of Afghanistan that is rarely seen now.

Kabul in the 1960s was a mix of tradition and progress. Women wore a variety of clothing styles. Some chose Western dresses, while others wore traditional Afghan garments. Men dressed in suits or local attire, depending on their work or social setting. Streets were lined with shops, cars, and bicycles. People went about their daily lives in a city that was growing and changing.

#1 (L-R) Jan and Peg Podlich at Paghman Gardens, which was destroyed during the years of war before the 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan.

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#2 Peg Podlich (Right).

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#3 American International School of Kabul (AISK), Senior English class. Peg Podlich is on the left.

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#4 King’s Hill in Paghman Gardens.

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#5 A mosque building stands west to the mausoleum of King Abdul Rahman — in the present Zarnigar Park, center of Kabul — which was the Bostan Serai built by King Habibullah (son of King Abdul Rahman).

Today is stands as a store room for the Department of Preservation of Monuments, Ministry of Culture.

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#6 Jan Podlich on a shopping trip in Istalif. Jan in a short, sleeveless dress and the woman to the right in a chadri (burka).

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#7 Afghan girls coming home from school.

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#8 Men and boys washing and swimming in the Kabul River.

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#9 The cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamiyan Valley represent the artistic and religious developments which from the 1st to the 13th centuries characterized ancient Bakhtria, integrating various cultural influences into the Gandhara school of Buddhist art.

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#10 Young students dancing to music on a school playground.

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#11 An Afghan boy decorates cakes.

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#12 Peg Podlich, in the sun glasses, taking a family trip on a bus going from Kabul, Afghanistan to Peshawar, Pakistan.

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#13 In the spring of 1968,Êmy familyÊtook a public, long-distance, Afghan bus through the Khyber Pass to visit Pakistan (Peshawar and Lahore).

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#14 New Year’s Celebration.

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#15 Kabul Gorge or locally known as Tang-i-Gharoo which led to the Darae Maiee-Par (Flying Fish Valley). This is the highway which connects Kabul with the province city of Jalalabad.

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#16 Parking lot of the American International School of Kabul. The school no longer exists, although alumni stay in touch through Facebook and hold reunions every few years at different cities around the U.S. The next reunion will be held in Boston in 2013.

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#17 Dr. Bill Podlich on a hillside in Kabul.

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#18 Afghan military band.

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#19 Masjid Shah-e-do Shamsheera in Kabul.

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#20 Frying Jilabee, a sweet dessert.

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#21 Guard duty at the King’s Palace

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#22 An Afghan teacher.

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#23 Afghan workers make a street repair in Kabul.

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#24 A Buddha statue in Bamiyan Valley- a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The two largest statues (not pictured here) were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.

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#25 Carving detail on an arch.

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#26 The Salang Tunnel, located in Parwan province, is a link between northern and southern Afghanistan crossing the Hindu Kush mountain range under the difficult Salang Pass. The Soviet-built tunnel opened in 1964.

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#27 A group of Afghan men look out over Istalif, about 18 miles northwest of Kabul, which was a centuries-old center of pottery making as well as other tourist attractions.

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#28 Sisters pose for a photograph in Kabul.

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#29 Young Afghans walking home.

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#30 A residential hillside in Kabul.

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#31 An Afghan Army parade through Kabul.

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#32 A group of young Afghans share tea and music.

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#33 Young men cooking kebabs.

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#34 Students at the Higher Teachers College of Kabul where Dr. Podlich, the photographer, worked and taught for two year’s with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

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#35 Chemistry lesson in a mud-walled classroom.

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#36 Gas Station.

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