Inside the Taliban's luxury hotel

Once the site of legendary parties, Intercontinental the in Kabul is still a potent symbol of who rules Afghanistan - and what its future might hold 

- Andreas Babst

AT THE SECOND BARRIER, A SIGN: Weapons Handover Point. Those who deposit their Kalashnikovs here get a locker number and their weapon back on leaving. The road winds up the hill between circular trimmed hedges. At the third barrier: a body search. Then, behind a metal gate, the driveway to the hotel appears. Car tyres squeal on the marble slabs in front of the entrance.

The Intercontinental Hotel towers over the Afghan capital like a castle. Kabul, this war-ravaged city. The noise of its car horns can no longer be heard up here. The Intercontinental, Afghanistan's first luxury hotel, opened in 1969. It was built in a time that feels much further away than the year suggests. Afghanistan was at war for more than 40 years. Rulers came and went, and every one of them was here, at the Intercontinental. Its former luxury has faded, but the Intercontinental has remained a symbol: those who rule Kabul rule Afghanistan, and those who rule Kabul rule the Intercontinental.

Today, the hotel is run by the Taliban. They entered Kabul on 15 August 2021. They have been in power for two years but remain enigmatic. Only horror stories leak out: women and girls have been forbidden to attend secondary schools and universities. Women are no longer allowed in public parks. Women and men are whipped for adultery.

However, the Taliban's biggest experiment has gone almost unnoticed by the rest of the world. It's taking place at desks across the country. The new government is forcing Taliban and non-Taliban to work together - in the administration and in government-related businesses. Young men share an office with young fighters they once feared, and young fighters sit next to young men they once despised. A lot depends on this experiment. It will help determine whether peace will last, whether there may be reconciliation, or at least a normal life -together, as far as possible.