Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul

I've been strangely excited about the opening of "Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul" at the National Gallery of Art for quite some time. The exhibit opens on Saturday, but I went to see it on Tuesday, and it was just as wonderful as I expected. The crown, above, is the most beautiful piece, but there's a lot of jewelry, small statues, gold decorations, sundials, and lots more. All the pieces come from the National Museum in Kabul, where they were packed up following the Soviet invasion in 1979. The pieces were thought to be lost, but they were uncovered a few years ago, hidden in an Afghan bank.

To coincide with the exhibit, area restaurants (including Mie N Yu, Cafe Bonaparte, and Zola) will be serving up Afghan food, and after going to a tasting at the Embassy of Afghanistan a few weeks ago, and then again on Tuesday, I can say that it's definitely worth checking out.

There are a number of events coinciding with the exhibit opening on Saturday, so if you want a more quiet visit, Sunday might be a better day. "Hidden Treasures" runs through September 7.