Nematullah Barekzai, a spokesman for the Taliban-run municipality in Kabul, told The New York Times that Ariana Cinema was a commercial site, not a historical landmark.
He added, “Even when it was operating as a cinema, it was a commercial place, because tickets were sold there.”
Mr. Barkzai said that an eight-story shopping mall with more than 300 shops would be built in place of Ariana Cinema.
The New York Times wrote that the demolition of the cinema reflects the Taliban government’s ideological and economic priorities, as it seeks new sources of revenue amid Western sanctions and the loss of foreign aid.
Ariana Cinema was built in the early 1960s and later became a popular venue for people eager to watch Bollywood films from India or Iranian cinema.
At the time, Kabul was known as the “Paris of Central Asia,” attracting a wide range of visitors, from hippies to tourists from neighboring countries.
During the civil wars of the 1990s, Ariana Cinema was badly damaged and was completely shut down during the Taliban’s first period in power.
In 2004, the cinema was renovated and reopened as a social gathering place. Mohammed Naeem Jabarkhail, who once ran a bakery near Ariana Cinema, told The New York Times that even the venue’s technical flaws such as frequent interruptions that forced audiences to return the next day to see the end of a film were part of its charm.
He said he tried to visit the cinema about once a week. Mr. Jabarkhail added, “At the time, the price of a movie ticket was equal to the cost of six or eight pieces of dry bread, and in truth I should not have spent that money on watching films, but the desire and love for going to the cinema were alive in my heart.”
Basir Mujahid, a well-known actor and director, said Ariana Cinema was one of the last remaining symbols of a hopeful era in Kabul. He added, “The demolition of Ariana Cinema is not merely a construction project; it marks the end of an era in the cultural life of Afghanistan’s capital.”
Since the Taliban returned to power, Ariana Cinema had been largely closed. For many residents of Kabul and other provinces, the cinema evoked memories of art, culture and joy.
Last week, a bulldozer began demolishing the building. Mr. Barekzai said that the cinema’s equipment and archives would be preserved and could be reused. He added, “Since cinemas are not currently operating in the country, we cannot leave this building unused.”
