Afghan war carpet 9/11

Two planes flying into the twin towers of the World Trade Center – this image is etched in the collective memory of the US population and many other parts of the world. Photographed and filmed countless times during the event, these images spread in the news and later also in art. Seeing the two towers on a carpet is nonetheless jarring at first.

It is an Afghan carpet, knotted in a refugee camp in Pakistan. Afghanistan is known for its long tradition of carpet weaving. The ornamental patterns of the carpets are subject to change over time, as not only religious, symbolic and decorative patterns are used, but also those with historical and current political references. Afghanistan has been repeatedly torn apart by wars and civil wars and these experiences are also reflected in Afghan handicrafts. At times, half of the Afghan population lived in exile, and today there are still around 3 million Afghan refugees and undocumented Afghans in Pakistan, three quarters of whom were born in Pakistan. Many live in camps, but are able to work and earn a living, for example by making traditional handicrafts.

On closer inspection, however, it becomes clear that the carpet was not woven for other Afghans. While half of the carpet depicts 9/11, the lower half shows the aftermath of this terrorist attack: the war in Afghanistan and Iraq by the USA and its allies. The outlines of the countries are complemented by detailed images of war equipment such as a tank, airplanes and missiles. In addition to this imagery, however, the illustrations are flanked by knotted Latin letters: The orange color field is named as Afghanistan, and the cave complex “TORA BORA” in the Safed-Koh Mountains in the east of the country is also mentioned.

The text “IRAQ WAR” and the date 19-3-03 make it clear that the green outline is the theme of the Third Gulf War, when the USA and its “coalition of the willing” wanted to liberate Iraq from alleged chemical weapons and Saddam Hussein.

This carpet was not created for local domestic use, but its texts are aimed at a figure also depicted on the carpet: “Soldirsi” – soldiers. It is therefore intended as a souvenir for soldiers of the ISAF troops and other foreigners, including civilians. These carpets are produced in series with similar motifs, marketed by the main trading center for carpets in Peshawar, Pakistan, and offered at Afghan markets or – like this carpet – in online auction houses. With its small size of approx. 90 cm in length, it can be stowed in hand luggage and hung on the wall as decoration.

The Bundeswehr’s bloodiest foreign deployment to date in Afghanistan is set to come to an end this year. Bundeswehr soldiers were involved in the battle for Tora Bora and Germany sent its soldiers on a total of four missions to the country in the Hindu Kush. The soldiers will take the memories of this war home with them, perhaps in some form.

Object of the month

(short) stories from the depot

Unfortunately, many objects cannot currently be shown in the exhibition for conservation reasons. Here you will find unusual objects and exciting stories of special pieces from the depot