In Herat, once an important stop on the famous Silk Route, a few families are struggling to keep a once-splendid silk industry alive amid competition from cheaper synthetic silk from China and Pakistan. The Herat region of northern Afghanistan has historically been the centre of silk production, textiles, and a burgeoning garment industry. However, this industry like the rest of the country was devastated and dismantled by over two decades of war. – Photos by AFP