SIMURGH AMID DARKNESS
KABUL - 2023
SIMURGH AMID DARKNESS
KABUL - 2023
In 2023, a sudden political deportation tore me from my familiar world, opening an unexpected chapter that led me through the disorienting haze of exile to the most unlikely of encounters. It was then, amidst a landscape often defined by hardship, that I stumbled upon a team whose dreams reached beyond borders and limitations: passionate young engineers, determined to design and build a supercar in the heart of Afghanistan.What once seemed impossible became tangibly real in their hopeful eyes, a vision of unyielding resolve.
I encountered a car built by someone who, like me, was born in exile in Iran. Despite the educational restrictions he faced there and the lack of infrastructure in a country like Afghanistan, he managed to create such a vehicle. For me, this achievement carried profound value and inspiration.
Photographing a prototype car in Kabul was an unforgettable and surreal experience, something I had never imagined possible. Despite the painful memories of imprisonment and the oppressive shadow of the Taliban, I refused to let anything weaken my focus and passion for this project. It felt as though all those years of buying car magazines during my teenage years had been a dream leading to this very moment.
For hours, I immersed myself in capturing different angles of the car, oblivious to the bitter cold of Kabul. An indescribable excitement filled every part of me. The sheer size of the vehicle posed a serious challenge, as I had never photographed such a large subject in a studio setting. But I was determined to find the best perspectives and compositions to showcase its grandeur and elegance.
Those days felt like a long-awaited dream come true, not just for me, but for the hopeful hearts of many People in Afghanistan.
For this part of the project, we needed a location that symbolized Kabul. After searching and planning extensively, we settled on the abondon Kabul Silo building. The building has lots of history in Afghanistan and has seen many wars.
The choice of this silo for photographing was not just because of the new asphalt road and its prominent location, but also to provide its empty core with a new lease of life and reconvert it from the desolation of war into the vibrancy of today.
Kabul, Chahar Asiab District, 2023
During this stage of the project, the Simorgh, this icon of Afghanistan ingenuity, was placed in a peaceful natural setting. Against the dramatic backdrop of Kabul's mountains, the Simorgh stood as a monument to resilience and invincibility. The majesty of the mountains highlighted the strength inherent in the vehicle, as if nature and man had come together to applaud this incredible feat of engineering. The photography at this site summed up the spirit of harmony and endurance in the Simorgh, bringing out the fact that the vehicle is poised to exceed the limits of possibility.
Extraordinary journey with this team ultimately led to an international experience
The presence of this groundbreaking car in Geneva sent a resounding message to the world: that even in the face of daunting odds, the indomitable spirit of the Afghanistan people (Especially the Hazara people) continues to soar, much like the legendary bird that inspired its name. With each admiring glance and awestruck comment from the international audience, the Simorgh not only showcased Afghanistan's capacity for innovation but also ignited a spark of hope and pride in the hearts of its creators and compatriots alike.
Doha, Souq Waqif