Sharifi described having had to destroy, more recently, his own sculptures and hide his paintings when the Taliban arrived in Kabul in August, recalling what happened the last time they were in power. “Any expression of art was prohibited,” he said. “My daily routine of walking anywhere in Kabul was seeing all those tapes, tapes, televisions all broken in every place and every road.”

“There is no positive news for artists or for art and culture,” said Sharifi, reflecting on how the Taliban painted murals made by his artist group, ArtLords, and to how artists were forced to flee the country in August. But the reopening of the museum is “a very small step in the most extreme situations. It’s a burning candle. We don’t know how it’s going to go beyond this moment, but it’s a positive move. “

Nabipour added that he did not have many positive memories of his visit to the museum in the past. He said he was still worried about his fate.

“Instead of enjoying seeing the priceless artefacts from my country’s different and glorious history, I feared losing them when, together with art school students, I visited the National Museum or National Archives “, did he declare. “I thought to myself: what would happen if an explosion targeted this place?” What would the Taliban do with these artifacts if they won? “

But Gil Stein, professor of archeology at the University of Chicago and director of the Chicago Center for Cultural Heritage Preservation, said it was a good sign that the Taliban had allowed museum director Mohammad Fahim Rahimi to stay in. his position. In September, Rahimi told The National, a publication focused on Middle Eastern coverage, that he “felt responsible for the museum: that I had to take care of it and that I should not leave it. I was ready to give my life for it. Rahimi did not respond to requests for comment.

In a statement released in February, the Taliban promised to protect cultural heritage and prevent people from looting. “As Afghanistan is a country teeming with ancient artefacts and antiques, and these relics are part of our country’s history, identity and rich culture, everyone has an obligation to protect , to monitor and preserve these artefacts ”, we can read. “All mujahedin must prevent excavation of antiquities and preserve all historic sites such as ancient fortresses, minarets, towers and the like.”