AFGHANISTAN

KABUL

Kabul, capital of Afghanistan since 1776, is a fast growing city where tall modern buildings nuzzle against bustling bazaars, wide avenues are filled with colorful flowing turbans and multitude of handsome faces. This city is ringed with mountains, gleaming emerald green in spring and glistening white in winter. In summer, they have an ever changing beauty turning from deep purple to brilliant pink under the rising and setting sun. Two craggy ranges crowned with ancient bastions divide the city and the Kabul river flows through a narrow pass between them to meander through the heart of city. BALAHISAR, OLD CITY, NUMOROUS MAUSOLEUMS, BABUR'S GARDENS, KABUL MUSEUM, MOSQUES AND BAZARS are the main attractions in the Kabul city.

Attractions In Kabul's Surroundings

ISTALIF a village ringed by barren hills to the North of Kabul city was once famous for its green and blue pottery and its picturesque bazaar. Little is left of this village after the 25 years of war. Still a visit to this place combines beautiful scenery with an introduction to Afghan village life.

KABUL GORGE lies about 30 km short of Kabul on the Jalalabad – Kabul road. It is the most impressive among many in the different parts of the country. A large piquet house stands at the top of the gorge from where one can view the spectacular scenery with 3 km of switchback road leads down to the foot.

PAGHMAN was once the most favored summer resort of Kabul. Located at 45 minutes of drive to the North of Kabul it has an imposing victory arch, standing in the central square, which was built by King Amman Ullah in commemoration of the war of independence in 1919. One may also pass by the Kargah Lake while returning to Kabul.
 

BAMIYAN

The archeological riches of Bamiyan makes it the most important tourist attraction in Afghanistan. From Kabul it can be reached either via Shibbar pass taking the road to Charikar and then turning to the west through Ghorband valley, or via the Haji Gak pass by taking the Ghazni road. Located at about 2400 meters above sea level the Bamiyan valley offers tranquil atmosphere to its visitors with snow caped range of Kohe-e-Baba in the South and by steep cliffs in the North, in which massive statues of Buddha were carved. Even the most recent incident of destruction of its Buddha could not effect no of visitors to this site. The area of Bamiyan flourished under the reigns of Kanishka. It became a major commercial and religious center with the patronage of King. It was during Kanishka's period that the smaller Buddha was carved measuring 38 meters in height. Two centuries later the colossal Buddha with height of 55 meters was built along with thousands of ornamented caves inhabited by the yellow robed Buddhist monks. Pilgrims from all the Buddhist world poured into Bamiyan Valley to admire its spectacular and sacred sites. The renowned Chinese Pilgrim Fa Sien also followed the pilgrim's trail from Gandhara and visited the valley in the 4 ^th century AD via the Shibber pass and has described the hardships of his travel in his several writings.

BAND-E-AMEER

Visitors to Afghanistan have marveled at the country's natural beauty. The formidable Hindu Kush, the vast Turkestan plains, and the seclusion of the southern deserts have impressed travelers form Alexander the Great to Marco Polo. It is the unspoiled natural beauty that forms the visitor's first and most enduring impression of the country. But of all the natural wonders of Afghanistan, the lakes of Band-e-Ameer are perhaps the most outstanding. Situated in the mountainous Hazarajat at an altitue of approx. 3000 m, 75 km from Bamiyan, these majestic blue lakes are of legendary beauty.

JALALABAD - HADDA

Jalalabad the capital of Ningrahar province is an oasis ringed by the mountains. Palaces, large gardens and tree-lined avenues speak of its long history as a favored winter capital.

Jalalabad is a junction and favored stopover for the travelers to Nuristan and Khyber Pass.

Hadda lies 11 km south of the city, it was one of the most sacred spots of Buddhist world dating from the 2^nd to the 7^th Century A.D. Countless pilgrims came from every corner of the earth to worship at its many holy temples, maintained by thousand of monks and priests living in large monastery complexes. Even during his lifetime, Buddha visited Hadda.

MAZAR-E-SHARIF

Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, is a major trading center famous for Karakul, a great variety of traditional Turkman carpets and high quality, long-staple cotton. The city is named for the magnificent shrine of Ali, cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammed, the forth Caliph of Islam. Ali was assassinated in 661 and buried at Kufa, near Baghdad. Local tradition, however, relates that his followers, fearing enemies may take revenge on the body, placed his remains on a white she camel which wandered until she fell exhausted. On this spot the body was buried. All knowledge of the final resting place was lost until its existence was revealed and the great Seljuk Sultan Sanjar, ordered a shrine built here in 1136. Ganghis Khan destroyed this building and again the grave lay unmarked until a second revelation during the reign of the Timurid Sultan Husain Baiqara. He ordered an elaborate shrine constructed in 1481. None of the 15^th Century decoration remains but modern restoration has returned the building to its original beauty. Thousands of white pigeons make their home there. Ameer Sher Ali Khan lies buried here with other members of Ameer Dost Mohammad's family. The largest tomb is that of the Ameer's illustrious son, Mohammad Akbar who played a prominent role during the First Anglo-Afghan War of 1838 – 1842.

BALKH

Balkh, today only a small town, is very famous for its glorious past. Zoroaster preached here sometime between 1000 and 600. Rites celebrated at the shrine to Anahita, Godess of the Oxux, attracted thousands during the 5^th Century and Alexander the Great chose it for his base in the 4^th Century B.C. Under the Kushan, when Buddhism was practiced throughout Afghanistan, many holy temples flourished in Balkh. The Arabs called Balkh the mother of cities. By the 9^th Century, during the rule of the Samanid Dynasty, about 40 Friday Mosque stood within the city.

Balkh is the home of Rabia, the first woman poet of Islamic period and of Mauwlana Jalaluddin Balkhi (Rumi), perhaps the most distinguished Sufi poet. His Masnawi is considered as the greatest poem ever written in Persian language. Balkh's glorious history closed in 1220 when the mounted men of Genghis Khan rode through and left it utterly devastated under the enlightened rule of Shah Rukh and his Queen Gawhar Shad, of Herat

HERAT

The history of Herat has been one of repeated destruction and reconstruction. Conqueror after conqueror, from the time of Alexandar the Great, has taken it, destroyed it, and then rebuilt it. In the 4^th Century B.C. Alexandar the great built the fort which is still standing in the center of the city. From 1040 to 1175 the city was ruled by the Seljuks who defeated the Ghaznavids and destroyed the fortress. Herat was then captured by the Ghorids until the city fell under the control of the Khwarazm Empire. In 1221,Herat was taken by the Mongols and tuil, the son of Genghis Khan, ruled for a time, but the citizens revolted and killed the Mongol garrson. Extremely angered, Genghis Khan rode upon the city with 80.000 troops and besieged it for six months, leaving only forty people living. In 1245 Herat was given to the Kart Maliks. Tamerlane destroyed Herat in 1381, however, his son, Shah Rukh, rebuilt it and started the cultural renaissance which made it the center of learning and culture. During the Tamurid rule, the famous poet of Herat, Jami and the miniaturist, Behzad were born, Queen Gawhar Shad's Musalla was built and Gazergah restored. For the second time the city flourished. In 1718 the Afghan clan, Hotaki, struggled for Herat's independence which continued until 1880, when finaly the city became an integral part of Afghanistan.

KANDAHAR

Kandahar, the birthplace and first capital of modern Afghanistan, founded by Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747, located on the Asian Highway halfway between Kabul and Herat. The area is rich in ancient history. Here, Alexander the Great founded Alexandria of Arachosia and region was repeatedly fought over by the Saffavids and Moghuls. It was the independent minded Afghans of Kandahar, first under the leadership of Mir Wais and then of Ahmad Shah Durrani, who hastened the decline of both empire and annexed much of their territories to the young Afghan Kingdom in the 18^th Century.

NOORISTAN

Nuristan refers to the area of Laghman and Ningrahar inhabited by approx. 600.000 Nuristani. The area covers approximately 5,000 square miles with five main and numerous side valleys, each inhabited by a separate tribe speaking its own language, which, in many cases are mutually unintelligible and are grouped under the name Dardic, within the Indo-European language family.

In 1895 the army of Amir Abdur Rahman finally succeeded in subdueirng the Kafirs and converting them to Islam. When his victorious army arrived in Kabul, the Amir announce that henceforth Kafiristan (Land of the Infidels) was to be known as Nuristan (Land of Light).

MINARET-E-JAM

The central route from Kabul to Herat is undoubtedly a fascinating experience but should only be undertaken by adventurous of pioneering travelers. Passing the first highlights, Bamiyan and Bande Amir, this route leads via Panjaw to Chaghcharan, the capital of the Ghor provice. The road continues via Sharak towards north, where in a lonely, remote valley , closely surrounded on all sides by towering barren montains stands the 65 m hivh Minaret of Jam, at the southern bank of the Har Rod River. Only the Qutob Minar in Delhi, built by Qutbudin after conquering India, is higher, it is the only well preserved architectural monument from the Ghorid period. En route to Heart, the Ghorid toms of Cheste Sharif and the hot mineral springs of Obe are favoured stopovers.

GHAZNI

Ghazni, an important market town, particularly famous from embroidered sheepskin coats, was the dazzling capital of Ghaznavid Empire from 994-1160 encompassing much of northern India, Persia and Central Asia, Many campaigns into India where launched from here resulting in the spread of Islam to the East. This glorious city was raised to the ground by Arab invaders in 869, by the Ghorid Sultan Alauddin in 1151 and by Genghis Khan in 1221. The city did not reviver its former grandeur, however, it enjoys a strategic position in the country's economy.