Chronicler of a lost Afghanistan dies aged 89

Paris: Famed French photographer Roland Michaud, who was best known for his timeless images of Afghanistan before the Soviet invasion, has died aged 89, his publishers told AFP Wednesday. The globetrotting adventurer first visited the country in the 1960s during

an eventful career that also included lengthy stays in China, India and Ethiopia.

He was best known for iconic images of a turbaned falconer and an elderly Afghan villager holding a rose, as well as a series of photos called "Caravans of Tartary" of camel caravans in the Pamir mountains.

He recounted that lost world in his last book, "The Last Caravan", written with his wife and erstwhile collaborator Sabrina, which was published in November. France Thibault of his publishers Nevicata said Michaud always "had a sparkle in his eye, and loved to tell stories. "We would drink them up," Thibault added.