DARULAMAN'S PALACE

It is one of the most impressive monuments in Kabul. The old palace of the king is located on a small hill, opposite the national museum. Once magnificent but now in ruins, it bears the terrible marks of the 25 years of war. Ball impacts are visible on its walls. The neoclassical building was built at the request of King Amanullah in the early 1920 s, based on plans revised by French architect André Godard. But it was completed after the end of his reign. He hosted the Department of Justice and then the Defence Department, before being burned in the Communist coup. The intense bombings for the resumption of Kabul at the end of Soviet occupation left the palace in ruins. Different foreign armies have been positioned there since the arrival of NATO in Afghanistan. Regularly, renovation plans are in project. But in June 2012, the palace was still hopelessly ruined. The land around has been cleared and transformed into playground for children and teenagers, who organise football tournaments and cricket tournaments!