Unknown maker in Afghanistan, “Twin Towers Rug,” after 2001, acquired in Kabul, Afghanistan, private collection, 2004, knotted wool, 32 ¼ x 22 ¾ inches (all images courtesy SMoCA unless noted) ...

The exterior of the restaurant is unassuming, tucked into a strip mall in Laurel, Maryland. But walking through the glass doors of My Kabul is transporting: Photos of Afghanistan, with its stately ...