An Afghan girl calmly milks a giant yak: Daniel Malikyar’s best photograph

Daniel Malikyar, born in 1995 in Los Angeles, has photographed over 55 countries, but his most personal series is about Afghanistan, where his parents emigrated from in 1979. He recalls that after 9/11, the global perception of his homeland was dominated by negative headlines – terrorism, war, guns. At home, however, he experienced the beauty of Afghan culture: music, poetry, handicrafts, and old family photos from the 1960s and 1970s when the country flourished. This inspired him to create a project that presents another side of the story.

The photograph’s story

The image was taken in a remote village in the Pamir Mountains, one of the highest inhabited places on Earth. There, a small community of Kyrgyz nomads moves three to four times a year, following grazing lands. Visitors are rare, so the people pose naturally. The photo shows a girl named Shargha calmly milking a stoical yak. In this region, women wear red veils before marriage and white after, creating a striking contrast against the landscape.

Malikyar’s approach

Malikyar notes that Afghans are often portrayed either as villains or victims. His goal was to show them with dignity and honesty. He photographed children at eye level to create a heroic feel. The project, "Afghanistan," will be published as a book by teNeues on 4 August 2026. His mother, who has not returned since 1979, now feels inspired by his images and is considering visiting Afghanistan with him.