The Afghan Girl

Steve McCurry went around the world taking photographs of people, refugees, armies, wars etc. He had visited the Nasir Bagh refugee camp in Pakistan and was immediately fascinated by this schoolgirl who had amazing green eyes that were so distinct and intense. Steve McCurry decided to take a picture of that girl in 1984, and soon the girl became very famous throughout the world, especially since her picture landed on the cover of ‘National Geographic’. She was on posters, in magazines, on label pins... even rugs, and she didn’t even know. Nobody knew who she was, where she was or what her name was. 17 years after the initial photo, National Geographic returned to Pakistan to search for her, finally finding her in Afghanistan.

There were many difficulties and false leads in the search. Steve McCurry had gone back to the refugee camp in Pakistan where he originally took the picture of the girl to find her. He also sent a National Geographic television & film team to search for her as well. They went to her previous refugee camp and went around asking people if they had seen the girl in the picture. Eventually, their search for her led to a man that recognized her face because he had been in the camp for a since childhood. She had left the refugee and now lived in the Tora Bora region on Afghanistan. The man stated he could find her, saying he knew where she was. He left for his trip with a companion. Only 3 days later the man and his companion came back to the camp with the lovely lady. Much had changed in her life.Her name is Sharbat Gula. 1985- Sharbat stared at her portrait for the first time.

Sharbat Gula told of her life in the intervening seventeen years. She remembered her wedding day to her husband, Rahmat Gul, a delightful day for her, at an age that is thought to be sixteen. It was told to be that she became an orphan and refugee at age 6. Soviet bombing killed her parents and Sharbat and her brother were led through Pakistan to different camps by their grandmother. One of Sharbat’s daughters is Zahida, age 3. Another is Alia at age 1. The third child is their oldest- Robina, who is 13, and the fourth had died in infancy. Sharbat hopes all the best for her children and that they will well education. Sharbat Gula is around her late 20’s or early 30’s but isn’t very sureof her exact date of birth. Sharbat was very shy and had not been photographed since Steve’s photograph of her in 1984, but she agreed to be photographed again, unveiled, because her husband thought it appropriate for such an important event. Ophthalmologist Mustafa Iqbal examined Sharbat and was 100% sure it was the exact person from Steve’s photograph from her freckles and the scar she has on the right side of her nose. Thomas Musheno was another person who examined the 2 different aspect photos of Sharbat to be certain they were the right people, and was as well 100% sure. The inventor of automatic iris recognition, John Daugman investigated Sharbat’s eyes and had no question they were both the same. Sharbat Gula’s only wish for any kind of reward was to be able to transport and go to Mecca. Sharbat Gula was a woman most of the world had felt connected to, through one of Steve McCurry’s portraits

Sources:

Braun, David. "How They Found National Geographic's "Afghan Girl"." National Geographic News (2003): n. pag. Web. 18 Jan 2010. .

"Afghan Girl Revealed." National Geographic. National Geographic, Web. 18 Jan 2010.