KABUL, 23 December 2021, (TON): Afghanistan´s national museum is once again welcoming visitors and exhibiting pre-Islamic artefacts with the Taliban´s blessing, a stark contrast to when the group ransacked and shuttered the facility during their last stint in power.

A trickle of citizens made their way around the sprawling exhibit rooms in Kabul when AFP recently visited, marvelling at treasures ranging from painted Stone Age pottery to ancient coins and religious items.

Rahmatullah said, after intently examining a collection of 2,000-year-old swords “it´s inborn in humans that they attach value to their history.”

“I wanted to know more about the history of my country. It has a special place in my heart”.

The museum reopened in late November with permission from the Taliban´s new ministry of information and culture, around three months after the group retook power and ended their two-decade insurgency.

Some artefacts on open display are fundamentally at odds with the Taliban´s radical ideology, including pottery collections featuring images of animals and humans.