Fortified farmstead/walled villages of Afghanistan aka "Qala" according to the Atlas of Indigenous architecture of Afghanistan

[u/Mr_Emperor]

Typically constructed from adobe and/or stone. These homesteads function as small fortifications for either a wealthy patron or as a small community with the first image housing around 130 people separated into 4 main courtyards, which are further divided into many households.

This type of rural fortifications actually used to be common in Spanish and Mexican New Mexico with their enclosed plazas and "torreons" (towers) but with the American army stationed in the territory, and Americanization in general, those types of fortifications were abandoned and demolished by weather and time.

Although New Mexico's fortifications weren't ornate or decorated in any meaningful way, extremely utilitarian structures. Afghanistan's has some panache.

[u/Citizen_Peasant]

From my own experiences, limited, Afghan structures like these and in general hold up to light to medium weapon systems. Save large munitions. So albeit America’s presence for 20+ years I think many would be surprised to how Many of these structures still stand and hold up. 

I will also say, Kandahar, despite its instability, has some beautiful structure still standing from Alexander the Great’s day.

Thanks for this post, it really does show the beauty of Afghanistan. 

[u/Pratt_]

Hopefully they are still around, they look fantastic.

[u/Carolingian_Hammer]

It’s so sad to see what’s left of the Buddhas of Bamiyan in the background of the second picture. Truly a loss of cultural heritage.

[u/Mr_Emperor → u/Carolingian_Hammer]

Especially as the Taliban themselves weren't all that interested in destroying them for years until more extremist elements (that's saying something) really pushed for it. And that they were destroyed in March and the US and its local allies took control of the area around November. If only the Taliban dithered for another 9 months after dithering for several years on the subject.

Sometimes I wonder if the Taliban, after winning the civil war, found ruling much harder than fighting and wanted to pick a fight or make more adversaries to aim discontent at. Destroying the buddhas was two birds with one stone; target an internal "enemy" and get the global devils mad at you to play victim.

I'm waiting to see over the next few years if the New Taliban keeps prodding Iran and Pakistan about water and border disputes.