See how Afghanistan looked like before the Taliban ever came to power

The war-torn Afghanistan was once peaceful where women could freely roam around the streets in dresses. Afghanistan as seen in William Podlich's photographs is almost unrecognisable.

The Taliban emerged in 1994 around the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. It originally drew members from so-called “mujahideen” fighters who, with support from the United States, repelled Soviet forces in the 1980s. Within the space of two years, the Taliban had gained sole control over most of the country, proclaiming an Islamic emirate in 1996 with a harsh interpretation of Islamic law. From 1996 to 2001, the Taliban enforced a strict version of Sharia law. Women were predominantly barred from working or studying, and were confined to their homes unless accompanied by a male guardian.