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The Afghan Girl: Story Behind an Iconic Photo
Kamera Express
The Afghan Girl
It was 1984 during the Afghan war when war photographer Steve McCurry pulled out his Nikon FM2 and took a picture of an Afghan girl. McCurry must have quickly put his camera back in his bag, because photographing in the Nasir Bagh refugee camp near the Pakistani border, and especially photographing women, was strictly forbidden due to religious beliefs, among other reasons.
Sharbat Gula was 13 years old when the photo was taken. Before fleeing Afghanistan, she lost her parents in a Soviet attack in the early 1980s. Together with the rest of her family, she fled on foot. A journey through the mountains to Pakistan followed, in search of safety, which they eventually found in the camp in Nasir Bagh.
The Emerald Green eyes of 'The Third World Mona Lisa'
McCurry took the photo with his Nikon FM2, using a Nikkor 105mm Ai–S F2.5 lens and Kodachrome 64 slide film. That type of film usually results in sharp, colorful photos. And that is reflected in the portrait of Sharbat, also known as 'The Third World Mona Lisa'.
When you look at the photo, you get the feeling that the wild, emerald-green eyes are looking right through you. The contrast with her ruby-red, torn headscarf reinforces this. The photo evokes a sense of despair, but also of strength. Whether Sharbat wanted it or not, she became the symbol of resistance, displacement, and resilience. And of the representation of the Afghan war and its consequences.
In the Western world, the photo did not go unnoticed. The portrait of Sharbat graced the cover of The National Geographic in 1985 and was hailed as one of the most recognizable photos in history, which helped generate increased attention from the USA to women's rights in Afghanistan after 9/11. Additionally, The National Geographic established the Afghans Children's Fund to help children in war zones. The number of registrations from people wanting to help in refugee camps also increased. It just goes to show how a single iconic image, captured in a split second, can set the world in motion.
The search for Sharbat
McCurry refused to give up and wanted to know what had happened to the mysterious Afghan girl. He undertook several journeys to find her. And eventually, he succeeded, but not without difficulty. There were several women posing as Shabat, but ultimately she was found. She was 30 at the time and living in rural Afghanistan; having returned to her homeland. Her identity was established by an iris scan.
After the photo
Until the moment she was found by McCurry and his team, she had no idea that the photo had become world-famous. When she reflects on her life and the photo herself during an interview with the BBC, she speaks of the fact that the photo has brought her both misery and happiness. For instance, she was imprisoned in a Pakistani prison because she allegedly had incorrect residency papers, but she used the money she earned from the photo to help orphans and widows in war zones. After the fall of Kabul to the Taliban regime in 2021, Shabat asked for help to leave Afghanistan. Italy responded to her request, and she has been living in Rome ever since.
