cover from the USA with cards from Afghanistan

On 4th December I got not only a postcard but also two covers from the USA.

A complete set about Otters in Snow (issued 12-10-2021) was used on this cover. 

In the cover were five postcards from Afghanistan which on the backside all got Afghan stamps and postmarks from Kabul.

Afghanistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordering on Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China and Pakistan. Since the late 1970s the country is nearly a permanent war zone and just four months ago the Taliban returned to power after the Fall of Kabul, the country's caüital. 

The first card shows what is left of the eastern Buddha of Bamiyan. The two Buddhas of Bamiyan were monumental statues dating back to the 6th century. They were masterpieces of Afghan art with various influences from surrounding regions. Although the statues themselves were blown up by the Taliban in 2001, their remains and the surrounding Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamyan Valley were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2003. 

The stamp is from a set of seven about the World Tourism Day and was issued on 27th September 1984.

The second card shows the Darul Aman Palace in Kabul. The Darul Aman Palace was built in the 1920s by Amanullah Khan, the Emir and later King of Afghanistan, and was supposed to house a future parliament, but remained uncomplete and even worse it saw heavy destructions during the many years of war. By now however it was renovated for the celebration of Afghanistan's Centenary of Independence in 2019. 

The same stamp was used here again. 

The third card is called "Tanks Became Toys". A very strange and sad image. 

The stamp on this card shows Mohammed Zahir Shah (issued 14-10-1969). Mohammed Zahir Schah was the King of Afghanistan from 1933 until he was overthrown by his brother in 1973, who replaced the monarchy by a single-party republic. His long reign was marked by peace in the country that was lost afterwards.

The other two cards show women in traditional costumes and the stamp on both is about Pashtunistan Day (issued 31-08-1974).

Thank You very much Sam-Quito!