Aid project crafts new hub for Afghanistan's artisans

KABUL - Ceramics, carpentry, calligraphy and gem cutting: centuries of Afghan craftsmanship honed on the ancient Silk Road are being preserved in Kabul, a rare success story for an aid project in the war-torn country that organizers are now hoping to replicate with refugees from Syria.

In the 16 years since the fall of the Taliban, the Turquoise Mountain foundation has found some of Afghanistan's best artisans and helped them preserve and pass on their skills, as well helping them showcase their work in international markets.

A painstakingly restored caravanserai - a roadside inn - in Kabul's oldest district is once again a hub for woodwork carvers, potters making traditionally-glazed ceramics, Islamic calligraphers and goldsmiths.