Kabul Delight

In the year 2010,a bustling market place in Kabul was obliterated because of a raging flood. The calamity ended up destroying Hammam Khisti-i-Kopruk,Kabul’s famous heritage site,which was located near this market. In many Middle-Eastern countries,a hammam is known to be a bath house,but in extreme winter situations,it also works as a source of warmth,an area to perform rituals and socialise for the neighborhood villagers. Architect Tanvi Maheswari,who has penned Life of an Afghan Hammam,documents the heritage site’s destruction and three years of rebuilding it.

The book,which was released on Friday evening at India Habitat Centre,talks about the process aided by the local experts,the Government of Afghanistan and funding from Netherlands,which provided financial help for the site’s restoration under their unique program titled “Cultural Emergency” — one that recognises the need to restore culturally and traditionally relevant heritage sites.

In the discussion that followed,Maheshwari spoke about her journey and the relevance of a hammam in the Afghani culture. “It’s a place where men and women meet after their daily chores to socialise. More than a monument,it’s intrinsic to their culture,” she said. The panel also included UN cultural specialist Robert Mann,Delhi-based writers and historians Sohail Hashmi and Narayani Gupta,and Chandigarh-based architect,Rohit Jigyasu.

While each of them spoke about their views on how culture is an imperative aspect of sustainable development,the discussion was less about the book and veered around theoretical relevance of culture. Maheshwari’s book,however,holds promise. “It’s not a question of money or architecture. A thriving culture lets its people understand their identity,” added Maheshwari.