Posted June 2, 2003.

Afghan Archaeological Library Reopens

French First Lady Bernadette Chirac reopened the library of the French Archaeological Delegation (DAFA) in Kabul May 26 for the first time since 1982 when it closed during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The library, a collection of books on travel and archaeology in Central Asia that was founded in 1922 by archaeologist Alfred Foucher, still needs to be inventoried and reshelved, according to a May 26 Agence France Presse report.

DAFA Director Roland Besenval said that a specialist librarian from the natural history museum in Paris would oversee the cataloging. “We don’t have original or ancient manuscripts,” he explained. “It is a working library for research on the continent.”

The library’s 10,000 books and 3,000 periodical volumes were kept by Afghan authorities in a hangar at the Kabul airport from 1982 to 1991. The French government then took custody of the collection and moved it to the cellar of the French embassy building, which was closed during the 1992–96 civil war and the ensuing Taliban regime that was ousted in 2001.

Besenval admitted the collection needs updating: “After 20 years we obviously need to do some shopping.”

Posted June 2, 2003.