Sharbat Gula

Sharbat Gula, born on March twentieth, nineteen seventy-two, is an Afghan woman who gained international fame as the subject of the iconic photograph known as Afghan Girl. Captured in nineteen eighty-four by American photojournalist Steve McCurry, this striking portrait was featured on the cover of the June nineteen eighty-five issue of National Geographic. The photograph was taken at Nasir Bagh in Pakistan, where Gula was living as a refugee during the tumultuous Soviet–Afghan War.

For many years, Gula's identity remained a mystery, despite the global recognition of her image. It wasn't until two thousand two that her whereabouts were confirmed, leading to her being photographed for the second time in her life. Having spent thirty-five years in Pakistan, Gula faced significant challenges, including her arrest by Pakistani authorities in two thousand sixteen for possessing forged identity documents.

In two thousand seventeen, she was deported back to Afghanistan, a move that highlighted the precarious situation of many Afghan refugees. However, in November two thousand twenty-one, following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, Gula was granted asylum in Italy, marking a new chapter in her life.