Traveling Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a mountainous destination in Central Asia for lovers of extreme rest. The number of historical monuments that can be found in Afghanistan is enormous. Natural places are no inferior to them in terms of their grandeur and beauty. The Hindu Kush mountain range is one of the most beautiful and majestic mountain systems worldwide. It combines the originally preserved mountains, valleys and lakes, which could attract more tourists here, were the political situation safer. Located in the valley of the eponymous river, Kabul is the capital of the country. The city was founded in 1504 as the capital city of the Mogul Empire. Nowadays, it has been greatly affected by the dramatic events of recent years, but it still remains a picturesque and interesting city for travelers.

The most interesting attractions in Kabul are its numerous mosques, mausoleums and madrassas. Among them, one can mention the restored Puli Hishti mosque, the mosque of Vizir Akabar Khan, the mausoleum of Timur Shah, and another 18th-century mosque, Idga, which is the center of the main religious holidays in Afghanistan.

Founded in as early as the 5th century, the ancient fortress of Bala Hissar, which is still the place of an army garrison, could be a perfect attraction, but its vicinity is turned into minefields. Meanwhile, the walls of the citadel are of an almost 30-kilometer length. The National Museum of Afghanistan used to have the richest collection of art in Central Asia during the reign of the Taliban. There is also a very modest, but very cute Kabul Zoo, Pashtunistan Square, the monument to the slain by terrorists leader of the Northern Alliance, Ahmad Shah Massoud, etc.

To the west of the capital is the Paghman valley, where you can learn about the architecture of the villas and the life of the former Afghan nobility. In Ishtalif village, which is densely populated with craftsmen and artists, one can see beautiful terraced gardens, the ruins of an ancient Hindu complex next to the Tao-Iskander, and other attractions.
In the north-east of the country, near the Panjshir mountain river, there is an exceptionally beautiful gorge. In addition to the beauty of the mountains and curious constructions of clay, more reminiscent of honeycombs, this area may attract the tourists with heaps of shattered Soviet military equipment left here in the 1980-s.

Among other attractions of Afghanistan, we can note the historical region of Nuristan, its unspoiled nature, the fort of the 20th century, located on the site of the old castle, picturesque Bashgul Valley, as well as the ancient capital of Gorid Kingdom, the city of Shahr-i-Zorak. One cannot but mention the north-western province of Bamiyan with its main attraction of two huge statues of Buddha, which were converted by the Taliban into a pile of stones. The main attractions of Gazni province are one of the largest castles in Afghanistan, minarets, gardens and the tomb of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni and his father, the remains of numerous palaces.

Of particular interest are also the city of Jalalabad, located in a mountain oasis, the three-kilometer Khyber pass connecting Afghanistan with Pakistan, from where almost all invaders came to the country in their time, a great mosque of the 13th century Jama Masjid, the complex of structures of the 15th century, Musalla, with six minarets and mausoleums etc. Another tourist attraction is the commercial city of Kandahar with a fragment of the Prophet’s cloak, which is stored in the mosque Da Kherqa Sharif Ziarat.