[jrumbut]

I read about the Khyber Pass area growing up and it sounds like such a beautiful place with a long and interesting (and unfortunately violent) history.

Do you think there will be a time in our lives that outside visitors will be able to see it? Do you think that would be good or is there more value in the almost globally unique degree of independence the area has maintained going all the way back before Alexander the Great?

Keep in mind I have no clue what the Khyber Pass is actually like except what I read, and I haven't even read too much.

[arbhassan]

You can visit anytime you want. Outside visitors do come all the time. It's not as dangerous as the media portrays.

Tourists used to visit these places all the time. But they stopped coming as much after 9/11. Nowadays it's pretty much normal and peaceful.

There are alot of foreign YouTubers who have made vlogs. You should check em out.

[donw]

> It's not as dangerous as the media portrays.

I strongly suspect that is a universal truth.

[082349872349872]

Is there any buzkashi in your area? Polo? Other equestrian sports? (for instance, similar or different to those in https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24304267 )

Any knife/sword dances similar to the circassian https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24108561 ?

Also, I have a question downthread looking for music recommendations...

[arbhassan]

Yes polo is also played but mostly in the chitral and gilgit areas.

Knife/Sword dancing is also a part of pukhtoon culture.

Regarding the music recommendation this[1] is one my favorite song. Also other songs from this band are awesome. Enjoy!

[1]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ksJnzQKprzc

[2]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZywPW8t_kUA

[082349872349872]

Two architectural questions about Thama (which spoke to me because the mountains there, as do those of Swat, remind me of my own):

- what are the ruins at 2:42? I would've thought they were english gothic...

- what is the structure at 5:33? My guess would be they are similar to our structures[1] (which I have also seen as far west as spain) meant to store and dry fodder (and incidentally dry and store meat for people). They can be seen at 0:34 of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltXpMuH8SI4&t=34

(Is the peasant collecting material to build the walls of these at 2:50 in Hamza? Or are what look like sticks to me for something else?)

[1] Not only was it easier to move animals to feed than feed to animals in the olden days, but multiple independent stores were less susceptible to fire. In troubled times, as most bandits and taxmen stayed down in the bottoms of the valleys, their contents were also more likely to remain in the farmers' hands.

[082349872349872]

Manana! Now I'll also have to look up Hamza Baba...

[082349872349872]

On the dance front, encouraged by arbhassan (and sidetracked by Nazia Hassan), so far I've found https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_E2zKi04Jek