Afghanistan museum reopens with Taliban security – and visitors

Taliban fighter Mansoor Zulfiqar visits the National Museum of Afghanistan (Petros Giannakouris/AP)

The National Museum of Afghanistan is open once again and the Taliban, whose members once smashed their way through the facility destroying irreplaceable pieces of the country’s national heritage, now appear to be among its most enthusiastic visitors.

The museum in south-west Kabul, which hosts artefacts from the Paleolithic period to the 20th century, reopened just over a week ago for the first time since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in mid-August amid the chaotic withdrawal of US and Nato troops.