The visit to Kabul does not require a lot of attention, because important sites to visit are not very numerous. But you can spend two days in the atmosphere. And then it is simpler for any destination from Kabul.Kabul is a city marked by war and now in full reconstruction. With its 2 million inhabitants, it is gradually recovering from its ashes. Everything needs to be rebuilt and sometimes built: roads, buildings, buildings, electricity systems, telephone lines. Located at 1800 m above sea level, on the edge of the Kabul River, the Afghan capital has lost many of its charm following the years of war. A theatre of battles for power between the various warlords, it was considerably destroyed between 1992 and 1996. Many of its inhabitants are still traumatized and the memory of this period gives them chills. Today, however, the Afghan capital is Emerging and developing at a high rate. Even though the streets are not all asphalted, much more like roads, several yards have been opened.Not very beautiful, Kabul is a very charming city and whose charm grows more one learns to know it. One of its many attractions lies in the contrast it offers between a tradition that persists and a certain modernity that seeks to settle in the country. Thus, it is common to see a flock of sheep or a man mounted on his donkey on the streets of the capital, next to a 4 x 4 blindé. Like young people in Jean with trendy coiffures, alongside women in burkha or old vieillards. The traditional dress is still very present in Kabul: men wear kamiz kamiz, women are covered from head to toe. Sometimes it is hard to believe that we are in a capital in Asia. Kabul is also a dusty, polluted and noisy city with narrow, winding streets full of garbage. Filled with a trade cart, where the meat cuts to the sidewalk, the capital is a shopping town. It is a pleasant city surrounded by mountains. White in winter, ochre in autumn and sometimes pink in summer, under the sunset sun, they encircle the city and, wherever you are, you see their peaks in the distance. In winter, Kabul is covered with snow, the dust then places the mud in the mud. Kabul is a city with ochre and brown tones. The people of Kabul are very welcoming and very accustomed to seeing foreigners. Many of them were exiled during the war.On the whole, the Kaboulis like to talk to newcomers. Obviously, you will not be able to escape from the curious eyes of Aboriginal people. Kabul is a young city (and Afghanistan is one of the youngest countries in the world). It is surprising to see so many children and young people in the streets. Kabul is also the veiled black and white students who go to school. It's the Internet cafés that grow across the city. Garbage collectors who just start collecting garbage. Bands of boys, sometimes quite elementary, who tell you hello in English. The population of Kabul is very diverse: all ethnic groups are represented and each of them lives in its own neighbourhood.Therefore, from one neighborhood to the other, the visitor has experience of different, very special atmospheres. The Darulaman district, destroyed during the years of civil war, is still marked by past tests. In Shirpour, the resort of the narco-traffickers and the former warlords, the opulence is in place. The district of Wazir Akbar Khan hosts offices and business seats. The architecture of Macro Rayan, of thread, is reminiscent of the Soviet era. Near the airport, they are all small houses in battered land where they live in very poor families and often camps installed by former refugees in Afghanistan after the war. But, gradually, the land houses disappear to give way to big concrete villas, to Pakistan. The contrast between rich and poor is very striking. There are many beggars, women, men and children. Afghans are accustomed to giving money to the poor, with alms being one of the five pillars of Islam. And as soon as you're foreign, you're being asked by beggars.Even though they tend to leave the country gradually, there are still many foreigners in Kabul. Since 2001, many international workers have been in the country for, among other things, participating in its reconstruction. Like all post-conflict zones, Afghanistan hosts a great deal of humanitarian aid, United Nations staff, journalists, foreign and military politicians from NATO. All NATO headquarters, the United Nations, the European Union, and the major institutions have their offices in Kabul. This, in fact, is a very cosmopolitan city with many structures for foreigners, such as restaurants, hotels and even some bars. This foreign presence contributes to shaping the kabouli landscape: many buildings are completely clogged, barbed wires are installed above the walls, armed guards supervise houses, embassies and offices. Teintées-tinted cars are ahead on the streets. There are whole areas of blockhaus.In Kabul, it's not war, but it looks awful. The city is very vigilant: police officers are deployed, the Afghan army regularly patrols on the streets. And in the evening, check-in points are installed at all the intersection of the city. Kabul is the economic and political centre of Afghanistan. A permanent activity, which sometimes turns into tension. This city is palpitates and agite, constantly evolving. We don't get bored. Suspens, agitation… here we are at the heart of the news, at the heart of events that will make the history of tomorrow.Geography. Kabul is located at 1 800 m above sea level, making it one of the highest capitals in the world. It occupies a strategic place in a narrow valley surrounded by hills and mountains. Winters are rigorous and Kabul is covered with snow. Roads are sometimes difficult to reach. Temperatures can drop up to -25 ° C, and there are few days without sun. As in all mountain regions, the sun can type strong. The winter period is short and, at the end of February, spring arrives. The climate remains pleasant. In summer, nights are fresh, even if daytime temperatures can climb up to 40 ° C. The hot period lasts only one month. By days of heavy heat, dust winds swirl and pollution is felt. Precipitation is quite rare. Kabul is located along the river of the same name, which in summer is completely dried and serves as a dumping site. With its 4 million inhabitants, the city is expanding and increasing considerably, particularly because of the return of former refugees from Iran or Pakistan.

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Pictures and images Kabul

Les vestiges des remparts qui entouraient Kaboul. VINCENT RONCO
Enfants afghans. Constance de Bonnaventure
Vue sur Kaboul depuis la colline de Wazir Akbar Khan. VINCENT RONCO
L'impressionnant palais de Darulaman porte les marques de près de trois décennies de guerre. VINCENT RONCO

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