Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul

In the heart of Central Asia is an ancient land. For thousands of years, it was the hub of the Silk Road. The crossroads of ideas and trade between East and West. A marching ground for powerful empires. From Alexander the Great to Genghis Khan. Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang described its fertile valleys and giant Buddha statues. Explorer Marco Polo wrote of a land rich with gold and gems. Of objects that tell of great civilizations. And a kaleidoscope of people and cultures found here in Afghanistan. Over the past three decades, war and chaos have obscured Afghanistan's rich heritage. Destroying an extraordinary cultural legacy. It's something that is really just terrible. If you feel that you've lost your culture, you've lost your heritage. It's almost irreparable. Afghanistan's great national treasures were nearly lost. But for a few courageous Afghans who risked their lives to safeguard one of the most important collections of the world's ancient history. A nation stays alive when its culture stays alive. Our people should know what happened. They should know about their culture, about their history. A history that is revealed in an unmissable exhibition. Afghanistan. Hidden treasures from the National Museum, Kabul. Following a successful tour across the United States and Europe. From March 2013 at Melbourne Museum, Queensland Museum, the Art Gallery of New South Wales and Western Australian Museum.