Acclaimed photographer Steve McCurry captured the beauty of Afghanistan for almost 4 decades. He describes his hopes and fears for its people after the Taliban takeover.

• Legendary photographer Steve McCurry has visited Afghanistan more than 30 times.

• McCurry told Insider he is “heartbroken” about what has happened to the country in recent weeks.

• He hopes to return to the country soon and believes Afghans will have the strength to move forward.

• Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Over the span of almost four decades, Steve McCurry has witnessed Afghanistan in war and peace.

The legendary American photographer became one of the first to capture the brutal Soviet-Afghan conflict in 1979.

In the years that followed, he accompanied Mujahideen fighters into the remotest parts of the country, photographed Afghans as they tried to rebuild their lives, and documented the hardships of all those affected by the war.

But as the Taliban took control of Kabul last month, sparking chaotic evacuations and two deadly suicide bombings, McCurry couldn’t…