The Ariana Cinema in Kabul, the capital, had remained closed, save for occasional propaganda movies, since 2021, when the Taliban swept back to power. A group of women wearing burqas crosses the street as members of the Taliban drive past in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Oct 9, 2021. The Ariana Cinema opened in the early 1960s and became a favoured place among Afghans who wanted to watch Indian Bollywood movies or Iranian cinema. “The destruction of Ariana Cinema is not just a construction operation, but rather the end of an era in the cultural life of the Afghan capital,” he added. “Even when it was operating as a cinema, it was a commercial place because ticket sales were conducted there,” he said.

Source: Bangkok Post December 24, 2025 13:51 UTC