Get UNCLASSIFIED February 26, 2012 American Embassy Kabul Great ... - Photos State

History of Photography in Afghanistan Photography gained popularity during the reign of Amir Habibullah. The Amir had a keen interest in photography, established a Royal Studio inside the palace. Public photo studios emerged along the banks of the Kabul River at that time. Most photographers were Afghans and Indians.

However, the embassy closed in 1989 due to safety concerns; it reopened in 2002 after NATO forces overthrew the Taliban. Construction was completed on a new embassy compound in 2005. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul suspended operations on August 31, 2021.

It should also be noted that the religious establishment in Afghanistan at the time frowned on photography for theological reasons. Islamic clerics argued (and still do) that reproducing the likeness of a living creature was the responsibility of Allah (God) alone, not that of any other human.

The proliferation of the photographic images allowed the public to be well informed in the discourses of war. The advent of mass-reproduced images of war were not only used to inform the public but they served as imprints of the time and as historical recordings.

Many (though not all) Muslims reject visual representations (e.g., images and sculpted figures) of religious figures, or even visual representations of living things, seeing it as a form of idolatry (worship of physical objects), which is inconsistent with their monotheism.

With the fall of the Afghan government in August 2021, the U.S. shut down its embassy in Kabul, marking a symbolic end to two decades of military and political engagement with Afghanistan.

The United States decided to temporarily suspend operations at the embassy because there was "no effective government in Afghanistan." Following the 2021 fall of Kabul to the Taliban and the dissolution of the Islamic Republic in August 2021, the embassy and consulates remained in operation independently.

The United Arab Emirates, which includes Abu Dhabi and Dubai, has stricter laws surrounding photography than most photographers will likely be accustomed to. Because of local superstitions, cameras are not allowed in certain locations and photographing certain bridges, palaces, and government buildings is illegal.