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Darul Aman Palace

Darul Aman Palace (Pashto: د دارالامان ماڼۍ; Dari: قصر دارالامان; 'Abode of Peace' or, in a double meaning, 'Abode of Aman[ullah]')[3] is a three-story-tall palace located in Darulaman, about 16 km (9.9 miles) south-west of the center of Kabul, Afghanistan. Surrounding the palace are the following buildings: the National Assembly, the National Museum of Afghanistan and the Afghan International University.

Darul Aman Palace
قصر دارالامان - د دارالامان ماڼۍ
The palace in January 1982, which was heavily damaged in the 1990s and fully restored in recent years
Map
General information
StatusReconstructed in 2019 on the 100th Independence Day of Afghanistan
TypePalace
Architectural styleNeoclassical
Town or cityKabul
CountryAfghanistan
Construction started1925
Completed1927
Renovated2016-2019
Renovation cost$10-20 million[1][2]
Height107 ft (33 m)
Technical details
MaterialBrick
Marble (spiral staircases)
Floor count3
Design and construction
Architect(s)Walter Harten
A. Godard
M. Godard
Other information
Number of rooms150

The 150-room Darul Aman Palace was originally built in the 1920s, during the reign of Amanullah Khan.[4] He reigned as Emir of Afghanistan between February 1919 and June 1926, and as King of Afghanistan between June 1926 and January 1929. The palace was severely damaged during the 1990s civil war. However, between 2016 and 2020, the palace was renovated and completely restored to its former glory. Most work was completed for the 100th anniversary of Afghan independence, which was on 19 August 2019.[4][5] The site is open to the public and all tourists.[6]

History

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Construction of the Darul Aman Palace began in the early 1920s as part of the endeavours of Emir Amanullah Khan to modernise Afghanistan. In June 1926, Amanullah proclaimed himself as King of Afghanistan. The palace was to be part of the new capital city called Darulaman, connected to Kabul by a narrow gauge railway.[7] Amanullah Khan invited 22 architects from Germany and France to build the palace.[8] The palace is considered to be a testimony of the Afghan-German ties, as it was designed by German engineer Walter Harten and his team of engineers.[9]

 
The Kabul–Darulaman Tramway in 1923

The palace is an imposing neoclassical building on a hilltop overlooking a flat, dusty valley in the western part of the Afghan capital. Designed by French architects A. Godard and M. Godard, as well as German architects, it was one of the first buildings in the country to get central heating and running water.[10][11] The Swedish memoir writer Rora Asim Khan, who lived in Afghanistan with her Afghan husband in 1926–27, describe in her memoirs how she was invited to the palace by Queen Soraya to describe Western lifestyle and customs to the Queen and the King's mother[12] Intended as the seat of a future parliament, the building remained unused and partially complete for many years after religious conservatives under Habibullah Kalakani forced King Amanullah from power in 1929, and halted his reforms. In later years it served as the medical school for Kabul University, as well a warehouse, and the seat of several smaller ministries.[10]

The building was gutted by fire on 14 December 1968, and was afterwards restored to house the Ministry of Defence during the 1970s and 1980s. In the Communist coup of 1978, the building was once more set on fire. Much of the building was damaged by tank fire during Shahnawaz Tanai's failed coup attempt on 6 March 1990.[13] It was once again severely damaged during the 1990s Afghan Civil War, as rival Mujahideen factions fought for control of Kabul. Heavy shelling by the Mujahideen left the palace a gutted ruin, including the garage containing the vehicles of the former King which were removed and used as target practice, all ultimately being destroyed. It was mostly used as a refugee settlement and a nomad camp until the early 2000s, when it became a battalion headquarters for the Afghan National Army.[10]

In 2005, a plan was unveiled to refurbish the palace for use as the seat of Afghanistan's future parliament.[14] It was to be funded primarily by private donations from foreigners and wealthy Afghans.[15] In April 2012, a number of government compounds around the palace were targeted for attacks by Taliban-led insurgent groups.[16] Eventually it was decided to develop a new building opposite the palace to house the parliament under a grant, provided by India. Construction was completed in 2015.

In the Spring of 2016, work began on a 16 to 20 million dollar restoration project,[17] intended to renovate the palace in time for the centenary of Afghanistan's full independence in 1919.[18][1][4] Nearly 600 tons of debris was initially removed from the 150-room building and by the spring of 2017, workers were taking down plaster and concrete from the inner walls.[10] Over 80 engineers and architects were involved in the project, of which 25 percent were female. By July 2019, most of the major reconstruction work on the palace was completed.[2]

On 18 April 2020, an opening ceremony was held as the palace was used as a temporary COVID-19 isolation and treatment center with 200 beds during the COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan.[19]

Architecture

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The palace is a U-shaped brick building, built in a European neoclassical style. It has 3 floors with 150 rooms, including a semi-circular main hall. Its highest point is around 33 m (108 ft) above ground level. There are four domed towers on the roof. The galleries on the third floor of the southern facade are decorated with a number of Corinthian columns. Each floor is connected by marble spiral staircases.[20][10][21]

Gallery: Darul Aman Palace before renovation

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  •  
    The palace in 1986
  •  
    2002: The southern facade
  •  
    2002: US commandos patrolling a heavily bombed out room
  •  
    2002: Two US Special Forces soldiers view Kabul looking north
  •  
    2005
  •  
    2006: Northern elevation showing shelling damage inflicted during mujahideen fighting for Kabul after Soviet withdrawal
  •  
    2006: Western elevation
  •  
    2007: After heavy snowfall
  •  
    2008: Facade
  •  
    July 2010: The interior was in very bad shape
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    December 2015: View from the National Assembly Building with the palace under preliminary reconstruction
  •  
    Darul Aman Palace reconstruction.

See also

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  • Aman (Islam), Islamic term for offering safety, protection, safe conduct, or pardon to enemies
  • Tajbeg Palace, located on a nearby hill and built as a residence for Amanullah, his wife, Queen Soraya, and their family.
  • Bagh-e Bala Palace, a palace built as a leisure home for Abdur Rahman Khan in 1893

References

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  1. ^ a b "Feature: Afghan former king's reconstructed palace beautifies Kabul landscape". Xinhua. 2019-08-10. Archived from the original on August 16, 2021. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  2. ^ a b "Afghan palace emerges from ruins as centenary nears". Arab News. 2019-08-16. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  3. ^ Clements, Frank (2003) Conflict in Afghanistan, a Historical Encyclopaedia. ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, ISBN 1-85109-402-4, page 29, 67.
  4. ^ a b c "Restored national treasure a bright spot for Afghans as they celebrate independence day holiday". Stars and Stripes. August 21, 2020.
  5. ^ Reconstruction of the Palace of the Darulaman on YouTube, Jan. 5, 2019, National Defense and Operations Directorate chaired by JHA
  6. ^ "Darul Aman Palace opened to the public and tourists". aop.gov.af. 1 November 2023. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
  7. ^ "Kabul to Darulaman railway". Sndrewgrantham.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
  8. ^ "Cabinet Approves Darul Aman Palace Reconstruction Budget". Sada-E-Azadi. 12 March 2016. Archived from the original on 2018-02-08. Retrieved 2019-03-16.
  9. ^ Azadi, Sada-e. "Cabinet Approves Darul Aman Palace Reconstruction Budget". www.sada-e-azadi.net. Archived from the original on 2018-02-08. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
  10. ^ a b c d e "Saving an Afghan Symbol, With Afghans Only". The New York Times. April 5, 2017. Retrieved 2017-04-06.
  11. ^ "Art Of War - Военно-исторический литературный портал". 2018-07-29. Archived from the original on 2018-07-29. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  12. ^ Rora Asim Khan (Aurora Nilsson): Anders Forsberg and Peter Hjukström: Flykten från harem, Nykopia, Stockholm 1998. ISBN 91-86936-01-8.
  13. ^ Ghani, Mariam & Ashraf (8 September 2012). "Palace of Abandoned Dreams".
  14. ^ "Place to see: Darul Aman Palace, Kabul, Afghanistan". Archived from the original on December 21, 2009. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
  15. ^ "A million afghanis donated to palace reconstruction". Pajhwok Afghan News. 14 April 2012. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  16. ^ "Taliban strike across Afghanistan in 'spring offensive'". BBC News. 16 April 2012.
  17. ^ "Cabinet Approves Darul Aman Palace Reconstruction Budget". TOLOnews. 10 March 2016. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  18. ^ "Afghans Celebrate 100th Independence Day". TOLOnews. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  19. ^ "COVID-19 Cases Reach 933 in Afghanistan". TOLOnews. 18 April 2020. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  20. ^ "In pictures: Kabul's battle-scarred palace". BBC News. 2014-11-09. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
  21. ^ Mumtaz, Babar; Noschis, Kaj (2004). Development of Kabul: Reconstruction and planning issues. pp. 154–172. ISBN 2-940075-09-3.
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