AIRLINK 62.48 Increased By ▲ 2.05 (3.39%)
BOP 5.36 Increased By ▲ 0.01 (0.19%)
CNERGY 4.58 Decreased By ▼ -0.02 (-0.43%)
DFML 15.50 Increased By ▲ 0.66 (4.45%)
DGKC 66.40 Increased By ▲ 1.60 (2.47%)
FCCL 17.59 Increased By ▲ 0.73 (4.33%)
FFBL 27.70 Increased By ▲ 2.95 (11.92%)
FFL 9.27 Increased By ▲ 0.21 (2.32%)
GGL 10.06 Increased By ▲ 0.10 (1%)
HBL 105.70 Increased By ▲ 1.49 (1.43%)
HUBC 122.30 Increased By ▲ 4.78 (4.07%)
HUMNL 6.60 Increased By ▲ 0.06 (0.92%)
KEL 4.50 Decreased By ▼ -0.05 (-1.1%)
KOSM 4.48 Decreased By ▼ -0.09 (-1.97%)
MLCF 36.20 Increased By ▲ 0.79 (2.23%)
OGDC 122.92 Increased By ▲ 0.53 (0.43%)
PAEL 23.00 Increased By ▲ 1.09 (4.97%)
PIAA 29.34 Increased By ▲ 2.05 (7.51%)
PIBTL 5.80 Decreased By ▼ -0.14 (-2.36%)
PPL 107.50 Increased By ▲ 0.13 (0.12%)
PRL 27.25 Increased By ▲ 0.74 (2.79%)
PTC 18.07 Increased By ▲ 1.97 (12.24%)
SEARL 53.00 Decreased By ▼ -0.63 (-1.17%)
SNGP 63.21 Increased By ▲ 2.01 (3.28%)
SSGC 10.80 Increased By ▲ 0.05 (0.47%)
TELE 9.20 Increased By ▲ 0.71 (8.36%)
TPLP 11.44 Increased By ▲ 0.86 (8.13%)
TRG 70.86 Increased By ▲ 0.95 (1.36%)
UNITY 23.62 Increased By ▲ 0.11 (0.47%)
WTL 1.28 No Change ▼ 0.00 (0%)
BR100 6,944 Increased By 65.8 (0.96%)
BR30 22,827 Increased By 258.6 (1.15%)
KSE100 67,142 Increased By 594.3 (0.89%)
KSE30 22,090 Increased By 175.1 (0.8%)

KABUL: Afghanistan’s capital has a bold new landmark that puts it at the centre of the world – or rather the world at the centre of Kabul.

Municipal authorities have unveiled a giant hand-painted globe of planet Earth in Dahan-e-bagh square – complete with an oversized Afghanistan – and the eye-catching structure is already turning heads.

“It’s something creative,” a local resident who gave his name only as Hafiz told AFP.

“Before it was just a useless square this map shows that we are also present on the globe.”

The sphere, with a diameter of around eight metres (25 feet), sits atop a mechanism that will rotate five times a minute – somewhat faster than the notorious Kabul traffic that will circumnavigate it.

Passers-by can be forgiven for thinking that the Afghanistan on the globe is somewhat bigger than official maps suggest – taking up space usually allocated to neighbours Pakistan and Iran.

But the chief engineer and artist involved in the construction – clearly used to the jokes already circulating about the size difference – said it was merely to give the country “prominence”.

“We have zoomed in on it so the people could recognise their country,” said chief engineer Esmatullah Habibi.

“We hope that the world will also recognise it.”

Seven killed in north Afghanistan as blast hits vehicle with oil workers

Artist Abid Wardak said it took him four days to paint the globe – working entirely by hand while perched on a rickety bamboo ladder.

“I got help from a map, although it was in English,” he said.

Afghanistan is painted to resemble the Taliban flag, inscribed with the Islamic declaration of faith, and not everyone is enamoured with the symbolism.

“When I saw the map of Afghanistan on the sphere I became depressed,” said a woman who asked to be identified only as Elaha.

Most female government workers have lost their jobs – or are being paid a pittance to stay at home – while women are also barred from travelling without a male relative, and must cover up with a burqa or hijab when out of the home.

“My presence in society has been restricted, my liberties have been taken… I miss the past,” Elaha said.

Comments

Comments are closed.