About AFG

Welcome. This site shares practical knowledge, culture, and everyday realities of Afghanistan - but with a different focus than most resources you’ll find online.

Rather than repeating what you can find on Wikipedia or in a quick search, we cover things you can only know by living in the country: local knowledge, unwritten rules, and stories that no one else has put online. That’s what this site is for.

Topics span food, education, migration, travel, exports, and daily life - whether you’re an Afghan navigating life abroad, a professional working on Afghanistan-related projects, or simply curious.

Browse by category from the menu or explore recent articles below.

Alkhatu: The Female Genie of Hazara Legend

Alkhatu: The Female Genie of Hazara Legend

Hazara people say you smell Alkhatu before you see her. By the time her odor reaches you, she is already close. She is a female genie, and the fear she brings is not ordinary — witnesses have been left paralyzed, or struck mute — some never recovering their speech.

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Paid Inner-City Transport in Afghanistan: How It Works

Paid Inner-City Transport in Afghanistan: How It Works

In this post, we are talking about paid passenger transport in Afghanistan. It can be divided into three broad categories: air travel, inter-city road travel, and inner-city transport. This post focuses on the third category: the vehicles people use every day inside cities.

In most Afghan cities, urban transport has never worked through fixed timetables, route maps, or formal stations. People usually learn it by habit: where to wait, which vehicle to take, how much to pay, and when a route is likely to move.

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Inside the Broken System of Afghanistan's Governmental Schools

Inside the Broken System of Afghanistan's Governmental Schools

Afghanistan’s schools are supposed to be sanctuaries of learning — places where young minds grow and futures are built. Yet in many governmental schools across the country, they have become something far different: overcrowded warehouses where teachers rarely teach, students rarely learn, and corruption runs unchecked. For decades, this system has persisted, forcing families to seek private tutoring at great expense, while the public education system crumbles.

This is not speculation — it is the daily reality for millions of Afghan students.

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7 Reasons to Love Afghanistan Beyond the Headlines

7 Reasons to Love Afghanistan Beyond the Headlines

The name “Afghanistan” might frighten some people — shaped by years of Taliban rule and the global image that era left behind. But if we look at Afghanistan through a lens other than war and politics, this country has many qualities that make it one of the most lovable nations on earth.

Instead of asking why so many Afghans leave their homeland each year, perhaps we should ask: why do so many choose to stay, despite every hardship?

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