The Darul Aman Palace, Kabul was built by King Amanullah with a vision to introduce a democratic set up in Afghanistan. Today, the Darul Aman Palace, Kabul, is all set to become the seat of power in the country.
Darul Aman Palace is a European-style palace located about 10 miles outside of the center of Kabul, Afghanistan. It is also known as the abode of peace.
Darul Aman was built during the 1920s. The neoclassical building was built as a part of the reformist King Amanullah Khan’s drive to modernize the country. It is an imposing structure on a hilltop overlooking a flat, dusty valley in the western part of the capital of Afghanistan.
Darul Aman served as the former residence of the king of Afghanistan. The palace was planned and designed by European architects in the 1920’s. Originally, the structure was meant to symbolize King Amanullah Khan's plans to democratize the country.
The building was envisaged as the seat for a future parliament outside of Kabul. After religious conservatives forced Amanullah from power and halted his reforms the Darul Aman Palace remained unused for many years.
In 1969 Darulaman Palace was first gutted by fire. It was restored to house the Kabul Museum. Later the palace was converted into an office for the Defense Ministry during the 1970s and 1980s.
In 1978 during the communist coup the Darul Aman Palace, which housed the government’s defense ministry, was set on fire. The destruction of Darul Aman marked the end of the Saur Revolution, which lasted two days. In early 1990’s when mujahedin factions fought for control of Kabul the building was subjected to severe poundings.
Heavy shelling after the end of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan by the mujahideen left the building in a dilapidated state. The ruins of the Darulaman Palace today symbolize the tragic legacy of Afghan history
Today, parts of Darulaman Palace are used by NATO troops as an observation post.
In 2005, a plan was laid out to rebuild and refurbish Darul Aman Palace for use as the seat of Afghanistan’s future parliament. The move was to be funded primarily by private donations from foreigners and wealthy Afghans.
Detailed online information on Darul Aman Palace, Kabul can be obtained in travel.mapsofworld
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