American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Development ISSN Online: 2771-8948 Website: www.ajird.journalspark.org Volume 33, October - 2024 170 | P a g e INTRODUCING SOME OF THE HANDICRAFTS OF THE PEOPLE OF AFGHANISTAN Sharifa Sharif Lecturer at Faryab University, Afghanistan s.sharif6784@gmail.com Abstract Handicrafts are among the most important and valuable works in the social life of the afghan people. since ancient times, the people of Afghanistan did not have access to advanced production devices, they had to prepare their needs, which are the most urgent needs of a society. This motivation caused the productin work to be done by hand, which became known as handicrafts. These industries, which include household items such as: carpets, rugs, felt, cribe, doors, chairs, kitchen utensils, ornaments, etc…constitue the handicrafts of the people of Afghanistan and currently modern items are available. people are supposed to be able to use it easily, but still afghan handicrafts have not lost their special value and status. Keywords: ughur, matika, felt, armband, anklet, tent, torch, shawl Materials and Methods Analytical and descriptive research methods were used in the research on the subject (introduction of a part of the handicrafts of the people of Afghanistan) and information related to the subject was collected in the form of a library. Introduction The people of Afghanistan have been engaged in constraction through handicrafts for a long time. These industries include: weaving, spinning, metalwork, carpentry, and jewelery. From weaving to making all kinds of carpets, tents and baskets are used. And it is used from the metalworking industry to the construction of gates and repairs and other necessary equipment, precious metals such as gold and silver are also used for ornaments, which are all made in handicrafts by those who have creative minds and artistic hands they take a lot of hard work it is produced that makes the people of Afghanistan proud. On the other side, most of these products, such as carpets and rugs, are exported abroad and have a special value in foreign countries. Felting A) Felt industry: Felt is one of the oldest handicraft products of our country. Information about its construction is given below. American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Development ISSN Online: 2771-8948 Website: www.ajird.journalspark.org Volume 33, October - 2024 171 | P a g e To make felt, they do not spin the wool, but first wash it and dry it in the sun. Then they are beaten in a special comb so that the fibers are well opened and soft. Then they paint with colors (red, blue, yellow, pink and the like) and then apply felt. Felt is a very good and healthy carpet that does not pass moisture, humidity and cold, and for this reason, its use as a carpet is very beneficial for human health. (Ahmadi, 2016. p. 57). b) Spinning and carpet weaving: The spinning industry has been popular among our people since ancient times, where women and girls spin wool, cotton, silk, and sand using spinning wheels. And they weave all kinds of rugs, carpets, and other clothes from the threads. 1. Mazari carpet: after the carpet, the carpet is the best carpet and has beautiful flowers. This rug is also known as Qaqmah rug because it is made of high quality wool and very thin threads. Because this carpet was woven in Mazar-e-Sharif in the beginning, it has become known as Mazari carpet. But today it is prepared in most of the northern provinces of the country. 2. Shawl: Shawls are usually woven in simple and flowery shapes from silk and sandal threads. Women use shawls as scarves,and they wear shawls. 3. palas: It is a simple rug that is woven more than goat wool. (Taleghani, 1389. p. p. 40- 41). Carpet Weaving Carpet weaving is one of the original, delicate and old crafts and arts of our people and one of the great cultural honors of the people of Afghanistan. Carpet weaving industry in the north, northeast and northwest provinces of our country such as Jawzjan, Balkh, Faryab, Sarpol, Samangan, Kunduz, Takhar, Baghlan, Herat, Badghis, Farah and Nimroz have been popular since ancient times. The carpet is a carpet of special quality and value. Although women in the mentioned provinces weave beautiful and exquisite carpets, Agche and Andkhoi carpets are among the oldest carpets and won the first place in the world in 1977. The carpet is also woven from cotton thread; Of course, cotton carpet is not as durable and high quality as silk and wool carpet. (Amini, 2010. P. 89). A) Carpet weaving workshop and tools: For carpet weaving, they use a wooden workshop, comb, knife, special scissors, and the like. The carpet weaving workshop has four thick pieces of wood and it is fastened together in a rectangular shape, and the carpet thread is woven in it, and then four, five or more girls and women carpet weavers sit together and weave. Exporting carpets has a good effect on raising the level of our dear country's economy and earning foreign currency. b) Carpet wool dyeing: Various natural and artificial colors are used to dye carpet wool. Natural dyes are obtained from the skin: pomegranate, onion, chaharmaghz and materials and extracts of flowers, leaves and roots of wild plants such as seeds and the like, which are found in thousands of species in our beloved homeland. American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Development ISSN Online: 2771-8948 Website: www.ajird.journalspark.org Volume 33, October - 2024 172 | P a g e The carpets whose wool is dyed with natural colors are called wood dyed. The quality of these carpets is excellent and they are liked by customers all over the world. Cotton Thread Weaving Women first spin the cotton through the wheel and then weave a piece of it; Karbas, Aleh Che, satranji, prayer place, jacket and the like. A) Canvas weaving: among the very old weaving industries of our country, the history of which goes back thousands of years. In the past, our people relied on their arm strength and efforts to provide the necessities of life such as food, clothing and the like. In the autumn season, when the cotton was collected from the fields, then the women would spin it using spinning wheels and make the thread into skeins. Then, the thread is twisted from the skein to the skeins by the wheel, and the skeins with the twisted threads are taken to the canvas weaving workshop, and the canvas is woven from it. (Vakilzadeh, 2012. p. p. 56- 57). b) Weaving from reeds, wheat stalks, sheep guts and purple branches: in the past, the people of our country made most of the necessary tools for their lives by themselves, and in some places they still make them; One of them is weaving from reeds and wheat stems. They weave from reed, buria and chigh. Boria is used for carpets in damp houses and for covering roofs, and chigh is used in making gazebos or piles in ilbands and chapars. They weave all kinds of takre, shugur, hats and chapelis from wheat stalks. When the stalk of wheat is delicately woven, the woven items are very beautiful and durable, because there are many people in our country who cannot do difficult work such as farming and livestock farming, or old men and women, who can do this very effectively work field. C) Woven cot: A cot is a healthy comfort tool like a bed. which is woven from iron and nylon rope and has four turned bases and four other sticks to strengthen the bases. The four- legged bases are painted with acceptable colors (lacquered). d) Weaving from sheep intestines: in our dear homeland, in addition to making leather uppers, skins, gloves, boots, bridles, and all kinds of clogs. Also, they cut the intestine in the form of strings and belts and weave different items from it: Chaghal, Ghalbeel, Qomchin and the like: e) Weaving from purple twigs: Purple is a fruitless tree that has many dense forests in the mountains of our country and everyone knows it. Purple forests have existed in Farkhar mountains of Takhar, Samangan, Badakhshan and other western and southern provinces since ancient times. When the purple branches are fresh, they swing and do not break. For this reason, people weave from purple branches (khamcheh), kajaveh, atang kalba (carpet) and other accessories. f) Kajaveh: Kajaveh or basket is a container that is woven from the fresh purple khamcheh (khemcheh) of the willow branch (khemcheh) and yellow willow, which the villagers use to transport fresh fruits such as: apricots, peaches, plums, cherries, They use berries, plums, and straw and willow for animals. (Shahrani, 2009. p.p. 112-113). American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Development ISSN Online: 2771-8948 Website: www.ajird.journalspark.org Volume 33, October - 2024 173 | P a g e Atenga road: It is surprising that the purple branches were used in the construction of the road as follows: Atenga road in Darwaz district of Badakhshan province on the shore of Panj (Amu) river was built from purple branches. (Ariana Association, 2010. p .p. 3-4). Kalali Kalali is an art, industry and profession that people are fully familiar with its name and value. In our daily life, whenever we look around, we undoubtedly come across all kinds of efficient utensils such as: cups, teapots, pitchers, colanders, bowls, vases, jars, jars, jacks, jars, etc., all of which There are many types of Kalali. There is no accurate information on the issue of where and when the Kalals first learned to produce dishes and cook them with heat. But we can say this much that the method of producing pottery and cooking it in fire was popular centuries ago. According to the results of the discoveries made in different parts of the country, the containers and tickers obtained show the fact that the art-loving people of Afghanistan, especially the people of the north, have been familiar with the art of pottery since a long time ago. (Azeimi, 1380. p.: 137). Most of their products are at a very high level in terms of containers, transparency, and the use of colors and high-quality designs. The artisans of this industry have spared no efforts in order to meet the daily needs of our people when there were no porcelain dishes and copper was scarce or non-existent. Their manufactured containers such as: bowls, ghori, jugs, sunbeds and basins, yogurt pots, clay tiles, pots, bowls, vases, etc., were available to people at a very low price. (Ghabar, 1366. p.: 249). The most basic stage of making pottery is to prepare clay, which is selected for the next steps. In Kalali painting, they use different types of colors, natural colors are more common, different types of traditional designs that represent the art of a particular region are used, mostly colors that attract people's attention and have many buyers. be used (Ahmadi, 2016. p.: 132). Wood and Woodworking Industries Woodworking industries and the use of wood in making life's necessities have been prevalent in our country since ancient times. Thousands of years ago, our people made and used wooden tools and devices, and we will introduce some of them below. A) Wooden tools: Yoke and spar, jawaz, linen weaving machine, cradle, spinning wheel, halaji, urchog and chilk spinning, spoon, sago, wooden soles, wooden shoes, wooden haung, weaver's comb, weaver's gole, musical instruments such as danburah, rebab, tambour, dohl, tabla, nadafi device, spear, bow, gate, cupboard, bench, table and beds. Beautifully carved and carved, and the like... B) Cradle: It is a very good nursing home for a newborn child to sleep until the age of one and a half to two years old. The cradle is made of wood and beautiful flowers are carved on its boards, and soft mattresses and baby comfort items are placed there. The cradle is the best tool for raising a child. (Yarqin, 1388. p. p. 35-36). American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Development ISSN Online: 2771-8948 Website: www.ajird.journalspark.org Volume 33, October - 2024 174 | P a g e Copper Industry and Art The history of the discovery and use of copper is associated with the life history of caveman. For the first time, human beings traded money through copper coins. In the past, copper permeated all aspects of people's lives, but with the spread of machine industries and the use of other materials and tools instead of copper in our country, this industry received less attention. Copper is used by large masses of people due to its purity and cheapness. Copper is used to cover the domes of magnificent buildings, palaces, garlands and domes of tombs and blessed places, and in making writing instruments, statues, decorative items such as pillow and tent covers, shoulder covers, mirrors. and in the ancient cities, candlesticks, torches and copper lamps, erikin are also used; Because the sound of copper is very melodious, they make jers, bells, trumpets, bells, horns and the like from it. What has kept the copper industry alive until today is the use of copper in making useful home appliances, cooking and eating utensils; The following appointment: A) Housewares: such as trays, patnos, basins, basins, wash basins, soap dishes, candlesticks and other dishes, examples of which are still available in old houses. b) Cooking utensils: all kinds of pots, ladles, ladles, skimmers, kettles, samovars, basins, dolce, boiling tea and the like. C) Bread utensils: all kinds of plates, bowls, spoons, glass, sorguri, shorwa bowls and the like. Coppersmithing, which was popular with the people since ancient times, therefore all kinds of arts have penetrated into this industry, beauty in form, polishing, coloring, net work, chain weaving and carving are among the arts that are popular in most cities of our dear country. (Othmani, 1388. p.p: 299-302). Conclusion Now, by researching and studying and completing this article, we come to the conclusion that the people of Afghanistan, who live in this land in a primitive way from the distant past, have had a bright and lasting history; The arts and crafts that we have been dealing with for centuries, since the past centuries until now, its preparation and use have been the important needs of the society and have a special value and status. Handicrafts, which were briefly discussed under different titles, include weaving, spinning, kalali, coppersmithing, etc., which are made by the talented people of Afghanistan. These productions are considered to raise the social and economic needs of this land, which has maintained its value and status throughout history and in all conditions. References 1. Ahmadi, Mirharun. (2016). Economic geography of Afghanistan. Kabul . nawisandagan Publishing House. 2. Amini, Mohammad Kazem. (2020). General geography of Faryab. Balkh. Dostan Press Publications. American Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Development ISSN Online: 2771-8948 Website: www.ajird.journalspark.org Volume 33, October - 2024 175 | P a g e 3. Ariana Society Encyclopaedia, first edition (2010). Geographical dictionary of Afghanistan.kabul. Sarwar Saadat Publications. 4. Shahrani, Inayatullah. (2009). History of races and ethnicities in Afghanistan.kabul. Publications: Caravan. 5. Taleghani, Nurullah. (1389). 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