Historical Places of Afghanistan

1. Herat---

Situated towards the western part of Afghanistan, it lies near the Hari Rud River. The district is home to many ancient forts and citadels, which are a class of their own. During times of Achaemenid the surrounding areas were known as Haraiva and later it was popularly called Aria whereas the Zoroastrian Avesta, terms this district as Haroiva. Herodotus referred Herat as the 'bread-basket of Central Asia'. During the reign of Alexander the great, the city was administered by a satrap, popularly called Satibarzanes, who was one of the three chief Persian officials bestowed with the responsibility of administering the East of the Empire, along with the satrap Bessus of Bactria and Barsaentes of Arachosia. It was also a part of the Seleucid Empire and later of the Parthian Empire in 167 BC. From time to time, major invasions took place thereby making it an important place of historical importance. The ancient ruins of the province scattered at every nook and corner of the city draws hundreds of admirers from different parts of the world.

2. Kabul---

A visit to Afghanistan remains incomplete without touring the famous capital city of Kabul. With a population of more than 750,000, the city was first established in 1776 and is home to worthwhile tourist attraction spots. Kabul has wide landscapes which makes it an ideal destination for adventure lovers. The mausoleum of Afghanistan's most popular ruler Amir Abdur Rahman built during 1880 and 1901 lies in this city. Though relatively a small building it has wonderful minarets and rooms widely decorated with attractive designs. Bala Hissar, a prominent historic place of Kabul was constructed in1880 and it is believed that Babur spent early years of his life during the 16th century. Other important features of Bala Hissar are the Shohada-i-Salehin, Tapa Maranjan and the exotic golf course of Chaman-i-Houzouri. Since Kabul is of the oldest cities of the world, it has major historical places of interest as-- Pul-i-Khishti Mosque, Chahr Chatta Bazaar and the famous Chihlsitoon garden.

3. Ghazni---

Situated at an altitude of 2,225 meter, it is regarded as Afghanistan's only walled town, surrounded by a 45 meter high bastion built during the 13th century. It lies near the Lora River and is said to be the hub of major business activities of the country. The city was named Ghazna in the past times and was flourishing center of trade, politics and culture during the 7th century under the aegis of Turkish Ghaznavid dynasty.

4. Kandahar---

Alexander the Great is regarded to be the founder of Kandahar during the 4th century BC. In the preceding years of 1748, Ahmad Shah Durrani, the ruler of the Afghan Empire, established Kandahar as the capital of Afghanistan. Since then, the city has shared the distinction of being an important historical place of Afghanistan.

Thus, these insights on historical places of Afghanistan provide you interesting information on these places of importance.