Ancient treasures from Afghanistan that were hidden from war and chaos are once again on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. NY1's Shazia Khan filed the following report.

As wars ravaged Afghanistan for more than 25 years, a group of treasures from the National Museum of Afghanistan in Kabul was thought to have been lost, stolen or destroyed.

But in reality, the ancients artifacts, some of which date back as far as 2000 B.C., were were hidden away, until they could be safely put on display. Now nearly 300 of these artworks are on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

"This is a tribute to these people who believed that a nation stays alive when its culture stays alive," says Metropolitan Museum of Art curator Joan Aruz.

In 1988, in the midst of Afghanistan's ongoing civil war, the staff at the National Museum risked their lives to protect those historical artworks from being destroyed or stolen.

"They knew that there was mounting danger and they felt that they had to take action to protect their national heritage," says Aruz. "So they stored them away very carefully in crates, in safes, in the bank vault of the National Palace."

Despite regime changes and continued conflict, no one divulged the secret and in 2003, with Afghanistan's first democratically-elected president in office, the priceless works were "rediscovered."

The pieces show how ancient Afghanistan was a crossroads of civilizations, a region where Greek, Roman, Chinese and other far-reaching cultures helped shape the country's heritage.

One gold female figurine from the 1st century A.D. shows the interaction of cultures.

"We have Aphrodite [the Greek goddess of love], but she's got wings and she's got a mark in the middle of her forehead," says Aruz.

"Afghanistan: Hidden Treasure From The National Museum, Kabul" can be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art through September 20. The exhibit will continue to travel around the world with the hope of returning home one day soon.

"The country has to be safe, and that's what we are all hoping for," says Aruz.