‘A dumping ground for an abandoned Russian-era bomber that has now been incorporated into the car park of ‘Shamshad TV’, a new media company supported heavily by American money.’, Simon Norfolk, 2011

Simon Norfolk Shah-do-Shamshira Mosque is known as the Mosque of the King with Two Swords. It was built in the 1920s on the order of King Amanullah’s mother on the site of one of Kabul’s first mosques named in honour of an early Muslim king who died fighting Hindu inva

2011

View by appointment

Simon Norfolk The former home of Jangalak Industries, a metalworking factory that once had a workforce of 1,800 but was wrecked during the civil war in the 1990s. It is now used as a massive storage yard for scrap metal. This area is all discarded hospital beds and sch

2011

View by appointment

Simon Norfolk Wasteland at the back of shops used as stabling for draught horses. In the distance is the Bala Hissar citadel, now home to an Afghan army base and mooring for one of the American blimps that carry electronic surveillance gear and cameras.

2011

View by appointment

Simon Norfolk A watchtower guarding a street of foreign embassies in central Kabul. For the British army these improvised fortifications are called ‘sangars’, although the term is Dari for ‘barricade’ and is one of the few words the British brought home form the Anglo-

2011

View by appointment

Simon Norfolk A cellphone booster-station built on the wreckage of buildings that once housed a market.

2011

View by appointment

Simon Norfolk Jaw Aka Faisal Nahman and his daughter Nono from Bamiyan province, now living in an improvised plastic shelter in the ruined gardens of Darulaman Palace. Built in the 1920s to house an Afghan parliament, ‘Darul Aman’ translates as ‘abode of peace’.

2011

View by appointment

Simon Norfolk The swimming pool that crowns Tepe Wazir Akhbar Khan, built by the Soviets in the 1970s and restored in recent times at great expense by USAID. It is uncertain if it will ever be used.

2011

View by appointment

Simon Norfolk The crew and ground staff of the new independent operator, ‘Safi Airways’.

2011

View by appointment

Simon Norfolk Strongly pro-Taliban refugees. For the photograph, they chose to partially cover their faces.

2011

View by appointment

Simon Norfolk Her Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador Sir William Charters Patey KCMG, his private secretary and his Nepalese mercenary security guards.

2011

View by appointment

Simon Norfolk The armoury of the British Embassy. The Embassy has a guard force of five hundred.

2011

View by appointment

Simon Norfolk The seemingly endless number of helicopter pads and hangars at Camp Bastion.

2011

View by appointment

Simon Norfolk ‘Radio TV Mountain’ in the centre of Kabul seen from where the Kabul River cuts through the mountains creating the Deh Mazang gorge. In the first Anglo-Afghan War it was the site of a crucial skirmish and hasty retreat by badly outnumbered British cavalry

2011

View by appointment

Simon Norfolk The districts of Wazir Akhbar Khan and Sherpur, home to all the NGOs and contractors, occupy the site of the former British fortress from the Second Anglo-Afghan War, ‘the Cantonment’. Glitzy, kitschy ‘poppy-palaces’, flung upon a hectic property boom aft

2011

View by appointment

Simon Norfolk Pakistani ‘Jingle Trucks’ end their long journey up from Karachi at the gates of Kandahar Air Field where they wait to be scanned, x-rayed and searched. Only people, ammunition and emergency requirements come by aircraft. Warlord-owned security companies

2011

View by appointment

Simon Norfolk

A dumping ground for an abandoned Russian-era bomber that has now been incorporated into the car park of ‘Shamshad TV’, a new media company supported heavily by American money.

2011

In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

You might like

Simon Norfolk Shah-do-Shamshira Mosque is known as the Mosque of the King with Two Swords. It was built in the 1920s on the order of King Amanullah’s mother on the site of one of Kabul’s first mosques named in honour of an early Muslim king who died fighting Hindu inva

Simon Norfolk The former home of Jangalak Industries, a metalworking factory that once had a workforce of 1,800 but was wrecked during the civil war in the 1990s. It is now used as a massive storage yard for scrap metal. This area is all discarded hospital beds and sch

Simon Norfolk Wasteland at the back of shops used as stabling for draught horses. In the distance is the Bala Hissar citadel, now home to an Afghan army base and mooring for one of the American blimps that carry electronic surveillance gear and cameras.

Simon Norfolk A watchtower guarding a street of foreign embassies in central Kabul. For the British army these improvised fortifications are called ‘sangars’, although the term is Dari for ‘barricade’ and is one of the few words the British brought home form the Anglo-

Simon Norfolk A cellphone booster-station built on the wreckage of buildings that once housed a market.

Simon Norfolk Jaw Aka Faisal Nahman and his daughter Nono from Bamiyan province, now living in an improvised plastic shelter in the ruined gardens of Darulaman Palace. Built in the 1920s to house an Afghan parliament, ‘Darul Aman’ translates as ‘abode of peace’.

Simon Norfolk The swimming pool that crowns Tepe Wazir Akhbar Khan, built by the Soviets in the 1970s and restored in recent times at great expense by USAID. It is uncertain if it will ever be used.

Simon Norfolk The crew and ground staff of the new independent operator, ‘Safi Airways’.

Simon Norfolk Strongly pro-Taliban refugees. For the photograph, they chose to partially cover their faces.

Simon Norfolk Her Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador Sir William Charters Patey KCMG, his private secretary and his Nepalese mercenary security guards.

Simon Norfolk The armoury of the British Embassy. The Embassy has a guard force of five hundred.

Simon Norfolk The seemingly endless number of helicopter pads and hangars at Camp Bastion.

Simon Norfolk ‘Radio TV Mountain’ in the centre of Kabul seen from where the Kabul River cuts through the mountains creating the Deh Mazang gorge. In the first Anglo-Afghan War it was the site of a crucial skirmish and hasty retreat by badly outnumbered British cavalry

Simon Norfolk The districts of Wazir Akhbar Khan and Sherpur, home to all the NGOs and contractors, occupy the site of the former British fortress from the Second Anglo-Afghan War, ‘the Cantonment’. Glitzy, kitschy ‘poppy-palaces’, flung upon a hectic property boom aft

Simon Norfolk Pakistani ‘Jingle Trucks’ end their long journey up from Karachi at the gates of Kandahar Air Field where they wait to be scanned, x-rayed and searched. Only people, ammunition and emergency requirements come by aircraft. Warlord-owned security companies

In the shop

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In Tate Britain

Prints and Drawings Room

You might like

Simon Norfolk Shah-do-Shamshira Mosque is known as the Mosque of the King with Two Swords. It was built in the 1920s on the order of King Amanullah’s mother on the site of one of Kabul’s first mosques named in honour of an early Muslim king who died fighting Hindu inva

Simon Norfolk The former home of Jangalak Industries, a metalworking factory that once had a workforce of 1,800 but was wrecked during the civil war in the 1990s. It is now used as a massive storage yard for scrap metal. This area is all discarded hospital beds and sch

Simon Norfolk Wasteland at the back of shops used as stabling for draught horses. In the distance is the Bala Hissar citadel, now home to an Afghan army base and mooring for one of the American blimps that carry electronic surveillance gear and cameras.

Simon Norfolk A watchtower guarding a street of foreign embassies in central Kabul. For the British army these improvised fortifications are called ‘sangars’, although the term is Dari for ‘barricade’ and is one of the few words the British brought home form the Anglo-

Simon Norfolk A cellphone booster-station built on the wreckage of buildings that once housed a market.

Simon Norfolk Jaw Aka Faisal Nahman and his daughter Nono from Bamiyan province, now living in an improvised plastic shelter in the ruined gardens of Darulaman Palace. Built in the 1920s to house an Afghan parliament, ‘Darul Aman’ translates as ‘abode of peace’.

Simon Norfolk The swimming pool that crowns Tepe Wazir Akhbar Khan, built by the Soviets in the 1970s and restored in recent times at great expense by USAID. It is uncertain if it will ever be used.

Simon Norfolk The crew and ground staff of the new independent operator, ‘Safi Airways’.

Simon Norfolk Strongly pro-Taliban refugees. For the photograph, they chose to partially cover their faces.

Simon Norfolk Her Britannic Majesty’s Ambassador Sir William Charters Patey KCMG, his private secretary and his Nepalese mercenary security guards.

Simon Norfolk The armoury of the British Embassy. The Embassy has a guard force of five hundred.

Simon Norfolk The seemingly endless number of helicopter pads and hangars at Camp Bastion.

Simon Norfolk ‘Radio TV Mountain’ in the centre of Kabul seen from where the Kabul River cuts through the mountains creating the Deh Mazang gorge. In the first Anglo-Afghan War it was the site of a crucial skirmish and hasty retreat by badly outnumbered British cavalry

Simon Norfolk The districts of Wazir Akhbar Khan and Sherpur, home to all the NGOs and contractors, occupy the site of the former British fortress from the Second Anglo-Afghan War, ‘the Cantonment’. Glitzy, kitschy ‘poppy-palaces’, flung upon a hectic property boom aft

Simon Norfolk Pakistani ‘Jingle Trucks’ end their long journey up from Karachi at the gates of Kandahar Air Field where they wait to be scanned, x-rayed and searched. Only people, ammunition and emergency requirements come by aircraft. Warlord-owned security companies

In the shop

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