A memorial ceremony was held in Kabul on Wednesday for well-known American historian and archaeologist, Nancy Dupree, who passed away earlier this week.

The ceremony was held at the Afghanistan Center at Kabul University, which was founded by Dupree in 2006.

A number of government officials, foreign dignitaries and Dupree’s colleagues and friends attended the ceremony and praised her for her dedication to Afghanistan over the years.  

“She established this academic and cultural institution and bequeathed it to us. I would like to ask the officials and the executive board of this institution to follow the light that was lit by Nancy,” Kabul University Chancellor, Hamidullah Farooqi said. 

“She was a very kind woman and she was not afraid of anything. For instance, she used to travel by bus from Nangarhar to Peshawar,” acting minister of information and culture ministry, Rasul Bawari said. 

Nancy died at the age of 90 in a Kabul hospital on Sunday. 

She had dedicated most of her life to preserving Afghanistan’s history. 

“For me, Nancy was not just a friend, but was also a good role model. I met Nancy for the first time in 1996 in Pakistan and since then we were friends. When I faced problems that I could not speak to anyone about, I would call Nancy,” said Husaina Shirjan, a board member of the center. 

Higher education ministry officials said they would organize a special ceremony to bury Dupree’s body in Kabul.

“We have assigned a commission to organize the funeral ceremony of Nancy,” said the acting minister, Abdul Latif Roshan. 

Dupree’s family said, in messages read out at the ceremony, that she had loved Afghanistan deeply. Ghani also sent a message and said losing Dupree was a great loss to the country.