Afghan potters defy hardship to keep centuries-old craft alive

Noor Agha Faqiri and Abdul Hameed Mehran are among a dozen potters left in Qarya-e-Kulalan (potter’s village), a small village in the picturesque Afghan Istalif district.

Since the Taliban’s 2021 return to power, the country’s faltering economy has led sales to plummet, pushing many to forego this centuries-old craft.

But Faqiri and Mehran are determined to carry on.