What to see in Afghanistan, in a country with ancient history, originating from the founding of the Persian Empire? Some cultural attractions of the state are mentioned in historical documents from those eras. But numerous conflicts made the country unstable in domestic political terms, also adversely affecting cultural heritage. Many of the attractions of Afghanistan have been restored. Now they are open to the public. Consider the sights of Afghanistan according to tourists' reviews.
Gardens of Babur
One of the most famous sights of Afghanistan is described in the first half of the 16th century and is located in the 4 millionth capital of Afghanistan - Kabul. The gardens of Babur were erected on the grave of the great emperor Babur, who was considered the founding father of the Mughal dynasty. The garden is a pyramid of 15 terraces. The tomb itself is located in the open air on the 14th terrace. It is made of white marble surrounding its wall.
The 20th century badly battered the Gardens of Babur, but 2002 was a year of rebirth. The Ministry of Culture of Afghanistan, relying on the work of the British soldier-artist Charles Masson, carried out work on his descriptions, corresponding to the 19th century. 1842 brought destruction in the form of an earthquake, the garden was returned, but already rebuilt to the taste of the ruler Amir Abdurahman Khan. As a result, the garden began to radically differ from its original appearance: the Queen's Palace and the central pavilion were built.
The war of 1979-1989 caused gigantic damage to the park: many buildings were destroyed, and trees were cut down. More recently, in 2011, Babur Gardens were completely remodeled and turned into a public park.
Balkh
The city of Balkh, aka Wazirabad, is considered one of the greatest and most ancient cities of the Ancient World. The location of the city is very favorable compared to the rest of the country. Instead of stone deserts and mountains, fertile fields are spread here. Wazirabad is considered the first city founded by the Indo-Aryans. In ancient times, Balkh shone with mosques and Buddhist monasteries. Already at the time of the prosperity of the Great Silk Road, the population of the city was 1 million people.
Despite the robberies by the Arabs in the 5th-6th centuries AD, Timur and the Mughals, Marco Polo spoke of him as a "great and worthy city." XVI-XIX centuries. the city suffered from armed conflict between three states: Persia, Afghanistan and the Bukhara Khanate. But in the history of the city it was far from the last page of the war. The 20th century left from the structures of ancient times only a mosque and part of the fortress wall of the city.
Jamaican minaret
Another interesting place in Afghanistan is the 65-meter minaret. An interesting fact is the absence of large settlements within a radius of several kilometers. The construction of such a building was succeeded by the Gurdian sultan Giyaz-ad-Din at the end of the 12th century. The building marked a victory over the Ghaznavids. The main material is burnt brick, which perfectly preserved the drawings and verses of the Koran in the minaret to this day.
There are versions that the minaret is the only building of the ancient city that has survived to this day. The city, according to the assumptions, bore the name "Blue City" and was destroyed by the troops of the Mongols led by Genghis Khan in the first half of the 13th century. Since then, the location of the city has been forgotten for almost 700 years. The British geographer Thomas Holdich managed to recover the information.
However, according to recent studies, it is possible to refute the version of the existence of the city. Images from space and the study of the terrain indicate the opposite. The territory is inaccessible and unstable due to the geological situation and could not withstand the whole city with palaces and mosques. In the year 43 of the last century, the first pictures of the Djama minaret were taken, and a year later, the first historical article was written. The minaret was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2002.
Hindu kush mountains
You can see many of Afghanistan's attractions in the photo in various catalogs. For example, the Hindu Kush mountains. They are famous for parallel ridges reaching a height of more than 7500 meters. Residents of small villages spend most of their lives apart from others. You can move somewhere, provided that the snow is falling, freeing the passes.
If you decide to visit this attraction of Afghanistan, a description of the beauty of the mountains will be difficult for you to do. It is impossible to describe the danger lurking in them. Numerous earthquakes with an amplitude of 5-6 points, avalanches and rockfalls make Hindu Kush a very dangerous place. The highest point is Tirichmir, or "King of Darkness", as the locals call it. Everything is explained by the fact that from the Vakhanov side the slope of the mountain is always under its own shadow. The rivers Kabul and Indus originate here. The first gave the name to the capital of the country.
Studying the reviews of tourists about the sights of Afghanistan, and more precisely about these mountains, we should mention the architectural monument - the Salang tunnel, made directly in the rocks. Upon request, tourists can visit the rocky caves of Buddhist monks in the valley of the Tejen River.
Dar ul Aman Palace
The mid-1920s marked the end of the construction of the Dar ul-Aman palace for Afghanistan, in the construction of which German architects were involved. The palace symbolizes independence by King Amanullah. In 1919, work began on the development of a new area - southwest of present Kabul. Initially, it was planned to build 70 European-style buildings, and three years later the project was approved by the new king.
In seven years, only two palaces have been built, one of which is Dar ul-Aman. A year later, construction was discontinued due to the overthrow of Amanullah. In the last century, the palace was attacked by heavy mortar guns of the Mujahideen. At this time, he served the Soviet troops as the General Staff of the DRA Armed Forces. Not so long ago, a plan for the reconstruction of the palace was approved. The current government wants to express this desire to revive democracy and the whole country as a whole.
Juma mosque
What else to see in Afghanistan is the magnificent Juma Mosque. It is located in a town called Herat. The building was erected in the 10th century for local Muslims who subjugated the local territories, but a hundred years later it was burned. The legend is tied to this fire, as if the dervish living in the mosque, having only two tears, managed to extinguish the fire element. But it was too late, the Juma mosque turned into ashes.
After 2 centuries, it was erected in its former greatness. Alisher Navoi himself undertook work on the creation of the shrine, it was he who gave us the modern mosque as we know it today. Most of us did not reach us, but only a portal with a beautiful relief inscription. Once again, numerous wars played their role, which by the beginning of the 20th century left a pile of stone from the shrine. Fortunately, everything was restored: the decoration, and the walls of the mosque, and a huge inner square, which can accommodate more than 5 thousand Muslims.
Conclusion
Reading the reviews of those who have visited this country, we can conclude that Afghanistan will be interesting to those who are fond of the history of the East, architecture. Tourists who intend to visit Afghanistan and see firsthand its cultural heritage are strongly advised to plan the route carefully. It is necessary to follow the latest news from the regions that you plan to visit. The current government does not control large areas of the country.