Afghan people

Culture

Contributions to Humanity

The different ethnic groups that today make up Afghanistan made significant contributions in poetry, architecture, art, music, and religion. Prominent individuals are:

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• Literature:
• Ibn Sina (Avicenna), one of the greatest philosophers and scientists in history - Tajik
• Jalaundin-e-Rumi, one of the greatest Persian poets - Tajik
• Khushal Khan Khattak, the greatest Pashtun poet - Pashtun
• Abdur Rahman Baba, a famous Pashtun poet - Pashtun
• Sana'i of Ghazni, a great Persian poet of the Ghaznavid era - Tajik
• Mirza Abdul Qadir Bedel, a famous Persian poet - Tajik
• Jami of Heart, the last great Sufi poet of the medieval times - Tajik
• Theology And Philosophy:
• Abu Hanifa, founder of the Hanafi school of thought within Sunni Islam - Tajik
• al-Bukhari, choronologist of Hadiths - Tajik
• Sayyid Jamal al-Din Afghani, the last great Muslim philosopher - Pashtun
• Kings And Conquerors:
• Babur, the founder of the Moghul Dynasty in India - Uzbek
• Ahmad Shah Durrani, founder of modern Afghanistan - Pashtun

Modern prominent individuals include mucisians:

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• Ustad Mohammad Hashem Cheshti
• Ahmad Zahir
• Farhad Darya

... and poets:

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• Mohammad Rahim el-Ham
• Abdul Ali Mustaghni
• Ustad Khalilullah Khalili

Language

Afghans speak a variety of languages of which the largest are Pashto and Dari (Persian). Other significant languages include the Turkmen and the Uzbek. Pashto and Persian are the official languages of Afghanistan.

Related Topics:
Pashto - Dari - Turkmen - Uzbek

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Religion

The majority of Afghans are Sunni Muslims. The remaining are mostly Shiites. Before the Muslim conquest of the region various religions including Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrians and Nestorianism significantly influenced Afghan culture.

Related Topics:
Shiites - Buddhism - Hinduism - Zoroastrians - Nestorianism

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Symbols

The Flag of Afghanistan has three stripes which represent three stages in Afghan history. The black represents the 19th century when Afghanistan was occupied, the red symbolizes the fight for independence and the green represents the fight for independence. In the past on the flags before communist takeover the black represented sovereignty, the red symbolized progress and development and the green represented Islam. http://www.fotw.net/flags/af.html#shd

Related Topics:
Flag of Afghanistan - Afghan history - 19th century

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