Afghanistan's ancient culture, it's immense fragility, at the heart of the Silk Road, Afghanistan linked the great trading routes of ancient Iran, Central Asia, India and China, and the more distant cultures of Greece and Rome.

Unbelievable treasures, secret key holders, princess tombs and cultural treasures of Afghanistan were early lost during the years of civil war and later Taliban rule, precious objects that reveal this diverse past were bravely hidden in 1989 by officials from the National Museum of Afghanistan to save them from destruction.

The surviving treasures date from 2000 BC to the 1st century AD and include opulent gold ornaments found at a tribal burial site and limestone sculptures of a Greek city.