Voices from the Mountains

A survey of the archaeological and architectural sites in the Wakhan was undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture-Afghanistan (AKTC-A) in 2007. The oral testimony project which collected the folk tales was undertaken in 2008 by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) with the support of AKTC-A. The oral testimony project was funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and represents part of their continuing commitment to the promotion of sustainable cultural tourism in Afghanistan. All the folktales are told in the Dari language. 

English translations are available in Part 1 of Tales from the Wakhan: Folklore & Archaeology of the Wakhan Corridor.

List of Tales 

• The Dragon of Ishkashim (Sarboz) p. 3
• The Witch of Ners p. 5
  
• Tashbek and Gul Qurban p. 7 
• Hamid and the Horse p. 9
• Mehran and Malek p. 11 
• The Origins of the ‘Dragon Lake’ p. 14
• The Wedding Spirit of Ptukh p. 16
• Dewi Sarma (Yetis) of the Hindu Kush p.24
• The Elder of Bozai Gumbaz p. 27
  
• The Old Man of Baba Tangi p.29 
• The Ravenous Witch and the Golden Clothes  p. 30
• The Shy Wizard of Ishkashim (no audio – text only) p.17
• Iskander and the Angel of Lake Shewa (no audio – text only) p. 31