Kharabat, Kabul
Kharâbat is a neighbourhood in Kabul, Afghanistan. It is a historic area near Hinduguzar, the quarter of Hindus and Sikhs. It has long accommodated musicians. Kharâbat has educated many famous musicians of Afghanistan in the Indian Patiali school.
Musical heritage
The quarter resembles a large Patiala school of Persian and Hindustani. Here music and singing are passed on from one generation to the next. In Kharabat and surrounding neighbourhoods there exist various workshops where typical Indo-Persian music instruments are made.
Important Afghan musicians were born there, as well as the songs of the Indian Dari poets Ustad Qasem Jo, Ustad Natu, Rahim Bakhsh, and Mohammad Omer, master of the rubab. During the time of Ali Shir Khan, it became a centre of art and music and home to many great artists such as Father Ustad Qasem Jo and the predecessor of Mohammad Hussain Sarahang.
War and rebuilding
During the rule of the Taliban, many musicians emigrated. Much of Kabul was destroyed during the Soviet war in Afghanistan and subsequent disorder. Many sons and daughters of Kharâbat musicians returned after the fall of the Taliban in 2001 to rebuild the community, including Sitar Jo ("Sitar-student") and Qasem Jo (Wahid Qasemi).