Kharābat ( prs, خرابات), is a neighborhood in the old city of

Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into 22 municipal districts. Acco ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

. It is a historic area near Hinduguzar, the quarter of

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

s and Sikhs. It has long accommodated musicians. Kharābat has educated many famous musicians of Afghanistan in the Indian Patiali school.

Terminology

The reason why the area is called ''Kharabat'' can be traced back to the term in Persian poetry, where it originally referred to

tavern A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food such as different types of roast meats and cheese, and (mostly historically) where travelers would receive lodging. An inn is a tavern t ...

s. Like taverns, where people dance and listen to music, the area in Kabul was a place where many local musicians lived as well as where private concerts took place.

Musical heritage

Important Afghan musicians were born there, as well as the songs of the Indian Dari poets Ustad Qasem Jo, Ustad Natu, Rahim Bakhsh, and Mohammad Omer, master of the rubab. During the time of Ali Shir Khan, it became a centre of art and music and home to many great artists such as Father Ustad Qasem Jo and the predecessor of

Mohammad Hussain Sarahang Mohammad-Hussain Sarāhang ( fa, محمدحسین سرآهنگ - ''Sarāhang''; 1924–1983) was an Afghan ghazal singer and an exponent of Indian classical music from Kabul, Afghanistan. Career and education Mohammad-Hussain Sarahang (née Mohamm ...

War and rebuilding

During the rule of the

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, jihadist, and Pasht ...

, many musicians emigrated. Many sons and daughters of Kharābat musicians returned after the fall of the Taliban in 2001 to rebuild the community, including Sitar Jo ("Sitar-student") and Qasem Jo ( Wahid Qasemi).

Notable people

* Ghulam Dastagir Shaida (1916–1970), singer and musician

References

Sources

External links

Kharabat of Kabulold traditions and new virtuosos in kharabat
{{coord missing, Afghanistan Neighborhoods of Kabul