AdvertisementSKIP ADVERTISEMENTA movie theater that bore witness to Afghanistans modern history from the cosmopolitan vibrancy of the 1960s to the silencing and repression that followed not one but two Taliban takeovers has been razed to make way for a shopping mall.The Ariana Cinema in Kabul, the capital, had remained closed, save for occasional propaganda movies, since 2021, when the Taliban swept back to power. And yet it stood as a landmark in the citys center, a reminder of art, culture and pleasure for many Afghans.A bulldozer started dismantling the building last week.

Eventually, a 3.5 million shopping center, designed to hold more than 300 shops, restaurants, a hotel and a mosque on eight floors, will rise in its place, said Nematullah Barakzai, a spokesman for the Kabul municipality.The theaters destruction is an indication of the ideological and economic priorities of the Taliban administration, which is desperate for new sources of funding because of Western sanctions and the loss of foreign aid.While Afghanistans economy grew by 4.3 percent this year, according to the World Bank, per capita it is shrinking because returning refugees have swollen the population. The new arrivals have, however, helped to fuel a construction boom, which the Taliban are seeking to capitalize on by selling land for projects that can generate revenue.Mr.

Barakzai said the cinemas equipment and archives would be safely stored and might be used again. Since cinemas are currently not active in the country, we cannot leave this building unused, he said.

But a flurry of restrictions imposed by the Taliban in recent years indicates that such a revival is unlikely as long as they rule the country.The Taliban have banned national television channels from broadcasting foreign series and, more recently, from showing any images of living beings a strict interpretation of Islamic law that forbids the depiction of humans and animals. The authorities have also ordered Afghans to cease uploading videos to platforms like YouTube.