DAY 92 - KABUL

92) TUESDAY, 27 SEPTEMBER 1977 : 0KMS. - KABUL

I went on searching for a nice piece of pretty good quality Lapis Lazuli in the bazaar again for a  ring as my father’s birthday present, but unfortunately I could not find one that fulfilled  my expectation and the price was not attractive enough.

Lapis Lazuli semi-precious stone - Photo : Bing images search

FROM WIKIPEDIA : 

Lapis lazuli (sometimes abbreviated to lapis) is a relatively rare semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense blue color.

AddLapis Lazuli semi-precious stone - Photo : Bing images search caption

Lapis lazuli was being mined in the Badakhshan province of Afghanistan as early as the 3rd millennium BC, and there are sources that are found as far east as in the region around Lake Baikal in Siberia. Trade in the stone is ancient enough for lapis jewelry to have been found at Predynastic Egyptian and ancient Sumerian sites, and as lapis beads at neolithic burials in Mehrgarh, the Caucasus, and even as far from Afghanistan as Mauritania.

Photo : abc.net.au / Google images search

Farmer herds his sheep to market along the busy side street in KABUL.








  

DAY 91 - KABUL

91) MONDAY, 26 SEPTEMBER 1977 : 0KMS. - KABUL

Visited Goethe Institute  to read some newspapers  to track general news in Germany and update  current situations around the world.   

Afghan stone inlaid pendant - Photo : buy.com / Google images search

In the evening, I went to pick up stone boxes  made  to my orders ​​and bought pendants  for necklace made ​​of colored stones with similar patterned design like the lid of the stone box.  I got 6 pieces at  100. -. AFG per piece.

Afghan rugs for sale on Kabul street - Photo afghanmania.com / Google images search

DAY 90 - KABUL

90) SUNDAY, 25 SEPTEMBER 1977 : 0KMS. - KABUL

I looked for a nice Afghan shirt but could not find a nice one. In the evening we met the French couple and their son Patrice, whom we knew in Iran during our journey, in the restaurant. We were very glad to see each other again. (Some of us travelled together as fellow travelers on the same route). 

Choice of Afghan dishes - Photo : afghancuisinebook.com / Google images search

KABUL market - Photo : travel.nationalgeographic.com / Google images search

  

 

DAY 89 - KABUL

89) SATURDAY, 24 SEPTEMBER 1977 : 0KMS. - KABUL

Looking for some nice souvenirs offered in the bazarr, more popularly known as “Kuchi Murgha” or “Chicken Street”, for family and friends as well as for myself but could not find anything very outstanding.  I bought  a small round stone box  and square ones for small ornamental pieces or pills. It is stones inlaid as a butterfly into the lid with a fine silver or brass wire lining around the butterfly.  

Photo : 3ebay.com / Google images search

Inside the stone box, lined with a thin sheet of silver, costed  400. – AFG.  It looks pretty good (although not neatly crafted).  I ordered six more round stone boxes at the price 350. – AFG/per box.  and paid the deposit for all 500. – AFG.  I bought a precious blue stone Lapis Lazuli box coted 400. - AFG.

Afghan semi-precious color stone box - Photo : Google images search

The blue stone Lapis Lazuli is usually found in the same source area with gold ore in Afghanistan.  To make a box, the craftman cuts it into small strips and pastes them with the metal (silver) box form on  the inside and around the outer side but the base and the lid are single Lapis Lazuli stones  showing the gold traces in it.   

Lapis Lazuli pills box - Photo : shubinak.com / Google images search

When we look at it under the light, it will be shining, showing its sparkling beauty. I  bought a nice one for my father.

DAY 88 - KABUL

88) FRIDAY, 23 SEPTEMBER 1977 : 0KMS. - KABUL 

Paghman garden - Photo : Bing images search

HAROON and his friends guided us to drive to big public park in PAGHMAN,  about 15 km to the northwest of KABUL.

Beautiful scenery and views from the outdoor observation spherical deck in PAGHMAN park, suburb of KABUL.