Sharing Nuristan with the world
A guide to the province written by people who are from it, and a way to reach its guides, makers and land.
Who we are
Nuristani was founded by Obaid Nuristani in memory of his father, the late Engineer Amir Jan Nuristani, whose legacy makes our work possible. Obaid leads it today and manages all of its operations, with a team across Afghanistan, the United Kingdom, Europe and China.
Engineer Amir Jan Nuristani
Engineer Amir Jan Nuristani, son of Mohammed Omer Nuristani, was born in Waygal in 1950. He went to school at Rahman Baba High School in Kabul and graduated from Kabul University in 1973, from the geology and mines department of the Faculty of Science.
From 1974 he worked as a geological engineer, surveying precious stones in Nuristan, Kunar, Badakhshan and Panjshir. In 1977 he became director of the survey of mines and geology, and held the post until the communist coup of April 1978.
In Peshawar he studied higher Islamic education at the Darul Uloom in 1982 and 1983, and from 1984 to 2001 he directed a vocational training centre for Afghan refugees in Kacha Garhi camp. In 2001 he returned to Kabul as a project director with Union Aid.
His name is still known across Nuristan, and above all in Waygal, for the help he gave the poor and the needy. He was a writer, a humanitarian and one of the elders of Nuristan. He spoke Nuristani, Dari and Pashto, as well as English, Arabic and Urdu. He was the father of Obaid Nuristani.
Everything we do at Nuristani is built on the legacy he left behind: his knowledge of Nuristan, its stones and its people, and his example of helping them. Obaid founded Nuristani in his memory.
May Allah have mercy on him. Ameen.
Obaid Nuristani
Originally from Waygal district in Nuristan, Obaid founded Nuristani in memory of his father, the late Engineer Amir Jan Nuristani, and he manages all of its operations. He brings years of business experience and a deep understanding of the region. His aim is to share Nuristan's culture and potential with the world through its products, heritage and investment opportunities.
obaid@nuristani.com
Sadiq Amiri
Originally from Waygal district, Sadiq runs our operations inside Nuristan. His expertise is in gemstones: he knows the province's stones, the places they are mined and the people who mine and trade them, and he leads our gemstone sourcing on the ground.
Zabiullah Amiri
Originally from Waygal district and a leader of the Chonish tribe, Zabiullah brings deep expertise in the history of Nuristan and its tourism, guiding the company's work with firsthand knowledge of the region and its people.
Yousuf Amiri
Originally from Waygal district, Yousuf runs operations in Afghanistan, working closely with local artisans, growers and miners to source the best the region has to offer.
Abdulrahman Chonish
Abdulrahman receives and guides visitors across Nuristan. From Waygal and of the Chonish tribe, he has lived and worked throughout the province, and his deep local network lets him reach every part of the region. He speaks Nuristani, Farsi, Pashto, Urdu, Arabic, Chinese and English.
Ahmed Bilal
Originally from Waygal district, Ahmed oversees activities across the United Kingdom, building partnerships to promote Nuristan's exports to global markets.
Habib Rahman
Originally from Waygal district, Habib leads expansion across Europe, positioning Nuristani products as premium goods in markets throughout the continent.
Jason Ryan
Jason manages operations and partnerships in China, helping Nuristani products reach new markets and widening the company's international presence.
Nuristan, told from the inside
Most of what the world reads about Nuristan was written from outside it. Nuristani exists to put that right: a plain, well-sourced guide to Nuristan, kept by a founder who was born there and a team who live and work in its valleys.
The site also does practical work. We arrange visits with guides from the province, source its products directly from the makers and growers, and introduce serious investors to the people and places they need to know. Every message goes to a person who knows Nuristan.
Where we come from
Everything on this site starts in the valleys on this map. The founder was born in the province, the team lives and works across it, and the guides, makers and growers we introduce you to are from the districts you see here. Tap one to read about it.
For where Nuristan lies and how it came by its name, read our guide to Nuristan.
Three rules for everything we publish
Firsthand
Our facts come from the valleys first and the record second. The founder was born in Nuristan and the guiding team lives there; the photographs are our own.
Cited
Where we rely on published sources, we say which, and we list them at the foot of the article. Where the sources disagree, we give the range rather than pick a number.
Corrected
When we learn we were wrong, we change the page and say so. If you know Nuristan and see a mistake, write to us; corrections are the most useful message we get.
Plan your Nuristan journey
Ready to plan a visit, source Nuristani products, or discuss an investment? Your message goes to Obaid, who is from Nuristan, and his team in Afghanistan and the UK. We reply to every message.