Associated Press photographers Bernat Armangue and Felipe Dana traveled from Spain to Afghanistan about two weeks after the Taliban completed their takeover of the country, to help AP’s local staff cover the quickly evolving, complex story.

Their 10-hour journey, via Islamabad and multiple checkpoints, landed them in a place experiencing the strains of rule change and an uncertain future. 

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Bernat: In a nation where war has been constant for decades, Afghans have continued to flee the conflict and heat of the countryside, flowing into camps in Kabul. Residents and aid groups fund the daily food distributions.  

Amid the economic meltdown since the Taliban took power, flea markets have flourished in Kabul. Families are selling their household goods to raise fast cash, due to job loss or the need to raise funds to the country. To visit these markets is to witness a country’s collapse and the struggle of its people. 

However, Kabul’s Old City retains much of its downtown vibrance. You can still find carpets, birds, kites, food. 

The only difference is the Taliban patrolling the streets.

Felipe: Talibans are used to the tribal justice prevalent in rural Afghanistan and since they took over Kabul, the court system has been a work in progress. For a story about how they as the city’s police force are starting to repopulate the jails they were detained in, I kept asking for access to the courts but my requests were always denied. When I learned they had empowered local elders to formally pass judgement on minor criminal cases, I gained permission to photograph that.

In one of the many neighborhoods where this is happening, the elders gather in a small room at the local mosque right after prayer every Saturday evening. The day I was there, they were deciding on the case of a resident who had stabbed a neighbor. The father of the accused was there. After his son was declared guilty, he paid a fine of 35000 Afghanis, around $400 USD, to the victim.

Bernat: One day, we headed to the Kabul University education center for what we were told would be a rally of women in support of the new rulers. Once we arrived, we saw a group of Taliban staging every detail of the event: deciding the location of the protest, assembling the flags and banners that women would hold during the parade with, and more. 

With the Taliban’s arrival, the landscape of Kabul changed fast. Faces of slain Northern Alliance leader Ahmad Shah Massoud were torn apart. Walls with pro-diversity messages were painted over with Quranic verses. Some female beauty salons had removed or covered images depicting women.

When the Taliban took over, most Afghan banks shut down, leaving the new administration and its population without access to cash. For weeks, civilians have waited in long queues – day and night – in front of the banks.

Felipe: Amid calls for equal access to education for Afghan girls, madrasas – Islamic religious schools – serve the poorer and more conservative segment of Afghan society. It was around 7 a.m. when I walked into a classroom in this small madrasa for boys. 

To my surprise I saw a girl, sitting alone facing the empty side of the room holding the Quran. She sat like that for a while, just staring at us or at the wall before finding an empty space closer to the boys. I later found out that she was the niece of one of the teachers, that’s why she was there.

The students are awake by 4:30 a.m. and start the day with prayers. They spend class time memorizing the Quran, chanting verses until the words are ingrained.  Many of the classes are in their dorm rooms, just next to their beds.

Bernat: The Chaman-e-Hozari park, one of Kabul’s landmarks, is a gathering place for cricket, soccer, scooter rides and wrestling competitions. 

Such activities weren’t always allowed: The Taliban banned them during the 1990s and used the cricket stadium for public executions.

Music was also banned. So far this time, the government set up by the Taliban hasn’t taken that step officially. But already, musicians are afraid a ban will come, and some Taliban fighters on the ground have started enforcing rules on their own, harassing musicians and music venues.

Many wedding halls are limiting music at their gatherings. Musicians are afraid to perform. At least one reported that Taliban fighters at one of the many checkpoints around the capital smashed his instrument. Drivers silence their radios whenever they see a Taliban checkpoint.

Felipe: Overall, the life in Kabul has changed a lot since the Taliban has took control of the city, but some things remain the same. The traffic, noise, pollution, children playing in streets, remains the same. 

However, the consequences of the economic meltdown can be seen already and there are a lot of concerns about what’s going to happen in the future.

Bernat: You arrive at a new place, you work for weeks, feel the experience and, when you decide, you go back home. It’s an enriching experience, full of emotions (some difficult to process), but always worth every effort. You feel lucky to witness, to use your work as a channel to share with others, but also to be able to choose. Choose where you want to live, where you want to go, how to raise your children.

I always remind myself that we can tell stories because others decide to open their lives to total strangers, even when risks are involved. When this happens you must give your best, you can’t fail the trust given. This time in Afghanistan was not different and I only can say one thing: thank you.

Spotlight is the blog of AP Images, the world’s largest collection of historical and contemporary photos.

Produced by AP News staff. The sponsor was not involved in the creation of this content.

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