Reviving Istalif, Afghanistan
The Destruction of Istalif
Istalif, a beautiful village 45 minutes north of Kabul, Afghanistan was always a popular tourist and picnic destination. Famous for its mineral springs, mountain views, rivers, 99 varieties of grapes, as well as its colorful marketplace, Istalif was especially known for the renowned turquoise and green pottery that had been produced there for centuries.
Istalif was completely destroyed by the Taliban in August of 1997. Its location on the front line of their battle with the Northern Alliance made it a strategic liability, so the Taliban torched the entire village, scattering 97 percent of its population. This beautiful, fertile village, with its archaic charm and gentle pastoral lifestyle, was reduced to a rubble-strewn ghost town, and all but a few of its inhabitants became refugees in Kabul or Pakistan.
Following the U.S. invasion and defeat of the Taliban in 2001, Afghanistan was liberated and there seemed to be a glimmer of hope for a new beginning, with Western support for reconstruction. But Istalif was unfortunately not on the agenda, with governmental funds prioritized for more populated areas.
The Revival of Istalif
In May, 2003, Ira and Sylvia Seret invited their friend of forty years who had remained in Kabul during the entire war years, Abdul Istalifi, for a reunion in Santa Fe, N.M. Abdul’s wife Zabaida and their younger son Ali flew in from London as well. Acutely aware of Istalif’s plight — it had received no aid in the two years since its liberation from the Taliban and was still basically a ghost town this small group of friends began brainstorming a plan to revive the heart of Istalif.
By now Abdul was an elder of Istalif, and his strongest desire was to see his hometown rise from the ashes.
Ira and Abdul, longtime friends and business partners, concluded that the best way to revitalize a village would be to jump-start its economic base. The strip of shops near the main mosque, once a famed hub for tourists seeking local crafts and the center of the local economy, was now a street of rubble. The Serets and Istalifis decided to reconstruct 120 burned-out shops along this main marketplace.
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