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Alternate name Guzar ye Kharabat, Koche ye Kharabat, Koy e Kharabt | ||
Kharabat ye Kabul is a music quarter of old town in Kabul, Afghanistan. It is a historic area near Hinduguzar and Bala Hissar, Kabul, the quarter of Hindus and Sikhs. It has long accommodated musicians. Kharâbat has educated many famous musicians of Afghanistan in the Indian Patiali school and persian Poetry.
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Kharâbat (Persian: خرابات ) is a Persian word and mean according to the Dictionary Persian, Arabic and English of Richchardson and Steingass a tavern, a gaming-house, "a brothel".
The name Kharabat has had a negative reputation since the fall of Zoroastrianism and after the Arab invasion. They were the poets of the Persian language of Gence in Azerbaijan Mahsati to Balkh (Rumi) and Ghazni (Sanai), Attar of Nishapur, Hafez, Saib Tabrizi etc. the Kharabats reputation as the site of the Mediage of Magi (Fire Temple of the Zosoastrians) have made. Mog or Mag (Persian: مغ ) was an ancient Persian term, . Ferdowsi writes in Shahnama Magan (Persian: مگان) Azer e Magan or Azer e Mogan (Fire of Magan). Kharabat e Moghan (Persian: مغان) is the most frequently written and sung expression by Persian Poems. Dance, music, singing and songs were the main ingredients in Mogh + Suffix [an] (local for temple, desert and cities in Iranan culrure area) zosroastrism in the Indo-Iranian culture.
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. The successors of Babur resided in the citadel of Bala Hisar (Dazh or Arg). They were also the rulers in Kabul who rehabilitated music, dance, singing and poetry. Below the fortress lived the musicians and dancers. And they were ordered for playing music at the court.
The father of Timur Shah Durrani had only four women. He had over a dozen women. The daughter of Alamgir II and granddaughter of Nader Afshar were his women. Also the name of Timor Durrani is Altaic-turkish. He was not popular in Kandahar. That is why he brought the capital to Kabul, the center of culture, music and dance. Timur Shah Durrani promoted like the Grand Mugul the Musicians of Indo-Iran. After his death, begins war again. King Amanullah Khan strengthened the value of the inhabitants of Kharabat and has tried again to support the Khatabatis (the people who played and danced and sang). Qassem Jo was awarded a title: Qassen might call himself afghan. Jo is a nickname of (Jan) and meaning (love) or Ji in india for legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar Lata Ji.
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 Omar (musician), master of the rubab. During the time of Darius was Kabul a center of Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Buddhism and there were various temples Hindu temples. It has always been a center of music and dance as a part of religion. In Kabul old town many instruments and more than 1000 built. The construction of Rubab has been confirmed here for at least 600 years. Indian Patiali Musicians and masters such as Ghulam Mohammad Houssin (father of Ustad Sarahang) and father Qasem Jo have made Kharabat as a music conservator. Kharabat is a ruin, but from there come constructive and building sounds 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).