Ethnic Groups & Peoples of Afghanistan

Pashtun

Pashto poetry, oral traditions and cultural ties across Afghanistan’s south and east.

Dari poetry and local traditions; some families celebrate Nowruz with visits and festive meals.

Hazaragi and highland traditions, alongside shared poetry, music, crafts and storytelling.

Uzbek language and northern traditions, from chapan coats to community gatherings.

Turkmen language and weaving traditions, with roots in the north and northwest.

Balochi language and detailed needlework, with deep ties to southwestern Afghanistan.

Dari-speaking traditions and diverse local histories in Afghanistan’s western highlands.

Pashayi languages and village traditions shaped by eastern valleys, orchards and rivers.

Distinct Nuristani languages and village traditions in the forested mountain valleys of the east.

Pamiri languages and mountain traditions in Badakhshan’s high valleys and the Wakhan.

Family histories and local traditions, with many communities in northern Afghanistan.

Dari language, Persian poetry and urban traditions, with longstanding ties to Kabul.