When did Steve McCurry go to Afghanistan?

Steve McCurry, the famous American photographer, first visited Afghanistan in 1979, when the country was in the throes of civil war, just before the Soviet invasion. This trip marked the beginning of his international renown. Steve McCurry entered Afghanistan by crossing the Pakistan-Afghan border disguised as a native. He traveled with the mujahideen, the Afghan resistance fighters, to document the reality of the conflict.

The photographs Steve McCurry took on this trip were among the first to show the world the horrors of war in Afghanistan. These images were published in the New York Times and quickly attracted worldwide attention, making Steve McCurry one of the most respected photographers of his generation.

It was also in Afghanistan that Steve McCurry captured one of his most iconic images: the portrait of young Afghan refugee Sharbat Gula, often referred to as “the Afghan girl”, which appeared on the cover of National Geographic in 1985. This portrait has become an iconic image of the 20th century, symbolizing human suffering in wartime.

Steve McCurry’s work in Afghanistan not only brought to light the difficult conditions in which Afghans lived, but also helped raise global awareness of the impact of armed conflict. His humanist approach and commitment to showing human dignity even in the darkest moments have made him a key figure in contemporary photojournalism.

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