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Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures

from the National Museum, Kabul

Until 28 Jul 2013

A collapsible nomadic crown (Tillya Tepe), 100 BC - 100 AD
Source: National Museum of Afghanistan
Photo © Thierry Ollivier / Musée Guimet

A remarkable exhibition of stunning artefacts revealing Afghanistan’s rich culture.

Afghanistan was at the heart of the Silk Road, the trading route travelled by Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan and Marco Polo, linking ancient Iran, Central Asia, India and China, and the more distant cultures of Greece and Rome.

Visiting Australia for the first time, this exhibition, with more than 230 priceless treasures, some thousands of years old, offers a rare opportunity to discover the surprising, untold story of the long and extraordinarily rich culture that is Afghanistan.

For years these artefacts were thought lost or destroyed as war and instability shook the country. In 2003, they were uncovered from vaults in the central bank of the presidential palace, where they had been placed in secrecy by a few courageous staff from the National Museum, Kabul.

Discover stories of bravery that protected these precious artefacts of gold, bronze and stone sculptures, ivories, painted glassware and other ancient works of art.

EVENT DETAILS

Event Type: Temporary Exhibition

Daily, 22 Mar - 28 Jul 2013
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Touring Hall

Adult $24, Concession $16, Child $14, MV Member Adult $14, MV Member Concession $12, MV Member Child $10

Tickets include entry to Melbourne Museum
Pre-purchase tickets online or by calling 13 11 02.
Online and phone bookings incur a $3.50 fee per transaction.

Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul exhibition is supported by the Australian Government International Exhibitions Insurance (AGIEI) Program. This program provides funding for the purchase of insurance for significant cultural exhibitions. Without AGIEI, the high cost of insuring significant cultural items would prohibit this major exhibition from touring to Australia.

Comments (30)

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Looking forward to this wonderful exhibition!

We will only be in Melbourne for 36 hours in March, and this exhibition has priority. Hope we can get tickets!!!!

Will there be any lectures associated with this exhibition? I managed to get to almost the entire mesopotamia lectures and they were brilliant

Hi Julie,

There will be lectures associated with the exhibition. Check back soon for details!

Dear Julie,

Two series of lectures are being planned in association with the exhibition. One will focus on archaelogy and the social, historical and cultural aspects of Afghanistan and will be held on Thursday evenings at 6pm. The other program called In Conversation will be held on Saturday afternoons at 4pm and will highlight the relationship between Melbourne and Afghanistan through themes such as writing, travel, cooking and trade. All details of these programs will be finalised by mid-February and will appear on the website.

I saw the museum's treasures in Kabul in the 1970s. Looking forward to revisiting the fabulous cultures of the region.

The preview of these artifacts is wonderful - can't wait to see the exhibition!

Hi I am LOTE teacher of students From Afghanistan interested to attend the above event in March but as we have Saturday school so Can we attend the event on a Saturday between 22nd Mar till 28th July 2013. And is there any discount of tickets for my students. Please let me know. Thanks a lot

Hi Zhara,

We will be able to book your group in on a Saturday, to make a booking and discuss pricing, please call our education line on 03 8341 7767

Looking forward to seeing the exhibition and the rest of the museum.

The Melbourne Museum address details are not clear. Melb venue not listed with other states. it could be Confusing -National Museum Kabul/ Canberra. I know that it is on Melb Museum website but when you copy and paste to send on to others this detail is lost looking forward to it. thanks

Hi, Just wondering whether there will be a preview night for members only, as with the previous exhibitions?

There is a members event planned for Saturday 23 March from 9am and will also include an introduction by Dr Fredrik Hiebert, archaeologist and curator of Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures exhibition; followed by exhibition entry.

The Membership department will soon be sending out a member e-newsletter to invite members to this upcoming event. If not already, please make sure that you are signed up to receive our member newsletter.

Looking forward to it.

Dear Museum, Re the lectures planned for Thursday evenings at 6pm, & Saturday afternoons at 4pm, could you please provide a direct link to the place on the website for these? Thank you. I have been looking for details of these programs since mid-February as per your earlier post and can't seem to locate them. Also - what time does the lecture for members by Dr Fredrik Hiebert finish on 23 March & is the exhibition entry after this talk timed? Many thanks - really looking forward to the exhibition and the lectures.

Hi Sharon,

Please see below a direct link to the Afghanistan page that has further links to the talks and lectures we will be holding in relation to the exhibition

http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/discoverycentre/afghanistan/

Looks good. I will have to go and see it. It would be great to have some treasures from Ancient Greece over in Melbourne too. You would have a captive audience and it aligns well with the Y7 Australian Curriculum.

Hi,what time frame do you suggest that we allow to view this exhibition? Eg will one hour suffice? Also, can tickets be purchased on the day from the museum? Thank you.

Hi Helen Usually an hour will suffice to see the exhibition, but if it takes you longer this is ok. Entry is times, and we don't allow re-entry, but once you have entered, you can move through at your own pace.

Cant wait to see it. I am really excited, thanks to Museum Victoria for organising this exhibition.

I have just made a booking for your Afghan lecture on Tuesday night and I'm so looking forward to it. Your online booking system however is too cumbersome and not worthy of a great museum of an international city. Please fine tune it.

I went to the exhibition yesterday (28/03/13)and thought it was wonderful.I hope these treasures do not return to Afghanistan until it is really safe for them to go back or the Taliban will seize them all and they will all be lost both to the Afghanistan people and the world. I bought the book and a piece of jewellery.

Regarding the Egyptian display recently. My partner and I were very, very disappointed regarding the way the paying public were shuffled through like mobs of sheep. It was very demeaning. You seem to be keeping to this practice and I, for one, will not be seeing any more special exhibitions if they too, are going to be shown this way. Alot of friends I've spoken to also feel the same. I realize it is about making money but by insulting people and their intelligence in this manner, the museum is unlikely to gain financially if people are continually dissatisfied. Please reconsider the way these exhibitions are run. The general public pays are fair amount of money to see these special exhibitions and we do not receive value for money at all. Please reconsider or the Museum will be the loser financially in the long run. I WOULD appreciate a response. Thanking you, Helen Waller

Thank you for this feedback Helen. We now organise our major exhibitions differently from Tutankhamun in 2011. For example, the 2012 exhibition The Wonders of Ancient Mesopotamia and the current exhibition Afghanistan Hidden Treasures are less crowded and the ticket prices are lower too. Please visit us and see if you like the changes.

Superb. I shall revisit before the exhibition closes. The lecture for the members special event was fabulous. Dr Fred Hiebert was so passionate about this wonderful event, how could we not be inspired also. Enormous thanks.

Very exciting to visit. Thanks to all organizers.

A wonderful insight into a fascinating part of the world. A beautifully curated as well with helpful supporting information.

A wonderful exhibition - I loved it! The audio-guide was very helpful and curation was excellent. I sensibly visited on the Thursday before Good Friday, and there were no crowds to contend with, which added tot he experience! Thank you!

I want to come to see the Afghanistan exhibition, but have a disability which prevents me from standing for too long, and use a walking stick. Is there priority entry for the likes of me and a carer?

Hi Clea

Thanks for your enquiry. If there is a queue for the exhibition and you require priority entry, please speak to a customer service officer on the day and they will be able to assist you. The museum also has a range of wheelchairs, which might suit your needs. These are available for hire, for free, from the cloak room and can be arranged easily upon your arrival to the museum.

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