The Taliban has banned women from visiting Band-e-Amir National Park in Bamiyan province, known as Afghanistan’s Grand Canyon. Security forces will be used to enforce the ban.
Band-e-Amir is a series of six lakes located in the mountainous desert of central Afghanistan, formed by mineral-rich water that emerged from faults and cracks in the rocky terrain. It is one of three national parks in Afghanistan, alongside Wakhan National Park and Nuristan National Park.
The lakes are created by the deposition of hardened mineral layers known as travertine, which accumulated over time to form walls that now retain the water within the lakes.
Band-e-Amir is recognised as a rare travertine system globally, supported by the Wildlife Conservation Society’s assistance to the Afghan government in establishing the park, highlighting the unique geological and natural significance of the lakes.
Minister Mohammad Khalid Hanafi said women had not been following the correct way of wearing the hijab in the park after he had visited the region.
Mr Hanafi notified officials and religious clerics of this alleged infraction, adding that “going sightseeing is not a must for women”.
