Behzad Cinema
سینما بهزاد | |
Behzad Cinema, April 2019 | |
Interactive map of Behzad Cinema | |
| Address | Kabul Afghanistan |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°30′45″N 69°10′46″E / 34.51261857°N 69.17953987°E |
| Type | Movie theatre |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1934 |
| Closed | 2023 |
Behzad Cinema (Dari: سینما بهزاد) is the oldest movie theatre in Afghanistan, established by the local government of Kabul. It was built in 1934 by the Kabul Municipality, in the old city area of Bagh-e-Qazi. However, it was abandoned and has since become a ruin.[1][2] The cinema reopened during Mohammed Zahir Shah's reign and has become a hotspot for clandestine groups and drug users, as reported in November 2020.[3] On March 2023, the de facto Taliban administration decided to demolish Behzad Cinema to make way for an integrated mosque, residential and commercial complex on the former cinema's site.[4]
See also
References
- ^ Malikyar, Helena. "When Clint Eastwood came to Afghanistan". www.aljazeera.com.
- ^ "Kabul Once Had 23 Cinemas, Now Just 4". TOLOnews.
- ^ "سینما بهزاد؛ محل تجمع معتادان و مصرف مواد مخدر در کابل" – via www.darivoa.com.
- ^ "Silent Screens: When Taliban Ideology Spills the Lifeblood of Art". Hasht-e Subh. 22 December 2025. Retrieved 20 January 2026.