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Nancy Dupree

Selimut Debu 32: Legenda Masa Lalu

Ahmad Sabur di Kakrak (AGUSTINUS WIBOWO) Lembah ini bersimbah air mata. Ada sebuah legenda indah namun tragis tentang Bamiyan. Konon, di lembah Bamiyan pernah bertahta raja Jalaluddin. Raja memaksa putrinya menikah dengan seorang pangeran tampan dari Ghazni. Tapi hati sang putri bukanlah pada lelaki itu. Dia tidak rela dipaksa menikah oleh ayahnya. Dalam hatinya tumbuhlah dendam pada sang ayah. Pada saat itu, kabar mengenai keganasan bangsa Mongol sudah tersiar ke negeri-negeri tetangga. Pasukan Jenghis Khan membabi buta menerjang ke negeri-negeri Muslim, menghancurkan semua peradaban, membakar habis kota-kota, memerkosa dan membantai penduduk yang malang. Tidak lama lagi, pasukan Mongol itu akan tiba di negeri Bamiyan. Tebersit dalam benak sang putri, inilah saat  terbaik untuk menghukum ayahnya. Apabila kekuatan seorang wanita tidak sanggup menghukum lelaki jahanam itu, batinnya, bagaimana kalau dengan menggunakan tenaga para lelaki Mongol yang tidak pernah kenal belas kasihan? Hanya dengan kata-kata, sang putri yakin ayahnya akan hancur. Dia membocorkan rahasia benteng kerajaan ayahnya pada pasukan Mongol. Tidak perlu lama, tanpa bertele-tele, pasukan Mongol berhasil menundukkan benteng Jalaluddin berkat informasi rahasia dari sang putri. Jenghiz Khan terkenal sebagai kaisar berhati dingin. Di kebanyakan negeri yang dikalahkannya, semua makhluk dibantai habis. Lolongan ratapan berkumandang dari seluruh penjuru benteng itu. Pria, [...]

December 10, 2013 // 1 Comment

Kabul – Brother Ambassador

The Indonesian Embassy in Kabul Today there is opening of a photo exhibition in the newly renovated Kabul Museum, just across the Darulaman Palace. The exhibition shows some old photos of Afghanistan, taken in the 1970s, about the glorious era of the covered bazaar of Tashkurgan. The covered bazaar now is gone. And European historical site preservation mission is trying hard to return the legendary bazaar back to its golden time. As photographers we were invited to attend the opening ceremony. There were long, long speeches from authorities and historians about the importance of preserving historical sites, the mission of photo exhibition, and about the destroyed bazaar of Tashkurgan. Many of the invited guests are foreigners. I feel a strange feeling surrounded by high class Afghan expats accompanied by their super muscular bodyguards. I am just a little photographer assigned by a local office here. During the speech I noticed a man standing next to me. He also looked at me. I was not sure whether he was Indonesian or not, but he seems so. As many Indonesians, I also have a strange hobby of guessing about other people’s identity. Hmm…, this man looks like Indonesian. But I have never [...]

April 25, 2007 // 1 Comment