Friday Mosque in Herat

Image: Koldo Hormaza
Wikitravel

Herat was one of the largest cultural and Islamic centers in Central Asia in the 14th till the 16th centuries. Today, it is the third largest city in Afghanistan. It is located in the western part of the country, bordered with Iran. Herat was the Timurid center of art, poetry, and miniature painting and music in the 15th century. It was a melting pot of Persian, Central Asian, and Afghan cultures making it one of Central Asia’s cultural hubs. The Friday Mosque or Masjet-e-Jam is Herat’s number one attraction. Said to be the finest and largest Islamic building in Afghanistan, it is a showcase of fine tile and mosaic art and craftsmanship. Also found in Heart is the tomb of the famous 15th century Persian poet, Nur-ud-din Abdurrakhman Jami, who died in 1492.

Mountains in Kandahar

Image: Alex Ball
Wikimedia Commons

Kandahar, the first capital of modern Afghanistan, is rich in ancient history. It is also where Alexander the Great founded Alexandria of Arachosia. Kandahar is the principal city of the Pashtun people. It has an international airport and is linked by road with Kabul and Herat.

Minaret in Ghazni

Image: bluuurgh
Wikimedia Commons

Situated on a high plateau with an elevation of 2,225 meters, Ghazni is Afghanistan’s only remaining walled town. It is dominated by a 45-meter high citadel built in the 13th century. The place boasts of the Citadel, an imposing fortress, the Palace of Sultan Masood, minarets, mausoleums, and the Museum of Islamic Art.

Mosque in Lashkar Gah

Image in Wikimedia Commons

Lashkar Gah (Town of Bost), found in southwest part of Afghanistan and is the capital of Helmand Province, is a place of numerous forts. It is also the site of an ancient town built by Sultan Mahmood Ghaznawi in the 10th century. The remains of the great palace of Masoud reveal the splendor of the court of what was then the greatest Empire of the East. Its most remarkable monument is the magnificently decorated arch with a span of 80 feet.

Sunrise in Bamiyan Valley

Image: Carl Montgomery
Wikitravel

Bamiyan, a province in Central Afghanistan, boasts of archeological remains. The place, though found about 2500m above sea level, is an exquisite valley embraced by the snow-capped Range of Koh-e-Baba Mountains in the south and in the north by the steep cliffs in which images of Buddhas were carved. The site is a magnificent vista of the serenity of nature.