Afghanistan's modern past

Many people associate Afghan women with the burqa, the garment that covers a woman's entire face, head and body and is worn in a number of Islamic countries. This is not surprising considering that under Taliban rule – a period that received extensive coverage in Western media – women were required to wear a burqa outside the home. But it wasn't always like this. The German press agency (dpa) recently released a series of historic photos showing Afghan women in Western-style clothes and without veils or headscarves. Qantara.de presents a selection of these photos