That changed after the U.S.-led invasion that toppled their rule in 2001, and now Afghanistan is home to numerous TV stations, beauty parlors, sports stadiums and wedding halls.
Still, most Afghan society remains conservative, with women wearing head coverings or even the all-covering burqa outside.
However, at a secluded gym in the Afghan capital, young Zumba enthusiasts wear their headscarves with loose tracksuits, as they practice moves from an instructional video.
Zumba is a new arrival in a country where dancing was once forbidden under the Taliban's ultra-religious rule.
The South American dance fitness craze first landed in Kabul two months ago and has attracted enthusiastic followers.