[2] Items held in the National Archives are kept in a small palace built in 1892 in Kabul by Emir Abdur Rahman Khan.

However, the wide scope of violence taking place in Afghanistan prevented the archives from fully opening for years.

Due to the numerous transfers of power in Afghanistan, the National Archive's administration fears the loss of certain books or manuscripts.

[6] The archive hosts resources including valuable manuscripts, "photos, documents, journals, postage stamps, decrees, family trees, audio and video cassettes".

[1][5] To access the archives, a visitor must gain permission by filling out a form that determines the researcher's needs and presenting a letter from the institution or organization they are a part of.