Herāt
Herat, also written as Harat or Hirat, and historically known as Haraiva, Horeiva and Hires, is a major city in western Afghanistan, serving as the capital of Herat Province and the Herat District.
Herat, also written as Harat or Hirat, and historically known as Haraiva, Horeiva and Hires, is a major city in western Afghanistan, serving as the capital of Herat Province and the Herat District. With an estimated population of 673,273 settled residents, it is the largest city in the province and the third-largest city of Afghanistan. As the gateway to Iran and Turkmenistan, the city collects billions of dollars in customs revenue for Afghanistan. The roads from Herat to Iran and Turkmenistan are strategically important for Afghanistan and its neighbors.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Worth seeing in and around Herāt
7 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.
- 01Friday Mosque of Herat
The Great Mosque of Herat, is a Sunni Friday mosque, located in the city of Herat, in the Herat Province of north-western Afghanistan. It was built by the Ghurids, under the rule of Sultan Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad Ghori, who laid its foundation in 1200 CE. Later, it was extended several times as Herat changed rulers down the centuries from the Kartids, Timurids, Mughals and then the Uzbeks, all of whom supported the mosque.
700 m · mosque in Afghanistan · Wikipedia - 02Herat University
Herat University is a public university located in Herat, the capital of Herat Province, in western Afghanistan. It was inaugurated in 1988, beginning with a faculty of Literature and Humanities.
3 km · herat University In Afghanistan · Wikipedia - 03Yu Aw Synagogue
The Yu Aw Synagogue is an abandoned Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in the Momanda neighbourhood of the old city of Herat, in western Afghanistan. The area was once known as Mahalla-yi Musahiya, or the "Neighbourhood of the Jews".
1.5 km · Afghani Synagogue · Wikipedia - 04Gawhar Shad Mausoleum
The Gawhar Shad Mausoleum, also known as the Tomb of Baysunghur, is a former Islamic burial structure located in what is now Herat, Afghanistan. Built in the 15th century by Gawhar Shad, the chief wife of Timurid Emperor Shah Rukh, the structure served as a royal tomb for members of the Timurid dynasty and is part of the Musalla Complex.
2.4 km · Islamic burial site in Herat, Afghanistan · Wikipedia - 05Malan bridge
Malan Bridge, also called Pul-i-Malan, is a two-lane arched bridge over the Hari River, connecting Injil District with Guzara District, both in Herat Province of Afghanistan. It was built around 1110 AD. The bridge is located 12 km south of Herat's old city and downstream or west from Pul-i Pushtu.
6.3 km · bridge in Afghanistan · Wikipedia - 06Herat National Museum
The Herat National Museum is a museum located in Herat, Afghanistan. It was established in 1925 by order of Emir Amānullāh.
1.5 km · museum in Herat, Afghanistan · Wikipedia - 07Gawhar Shad Mosque
The Gawhar Shad Mosque is a former mosque, in a ruinous state, located in Herat, Afghanistan. The mosque was built under a commission by Gawhar Shad, the main queen of the Timurid ruler Shah Rukh and is located in the southwestern corner of the Musalla complex.
2.3 km · Mosque in Herat, Afghanistan · Wikipedia
Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
Ghala Ekhteyaradin, Takht Safar, Bagh Milat, Bagh Shaidayee, Masjid Jami, Howz Charso, Minarets, Poli Malan (Malan Bridge), Gowhar Shad Tomb, Gazer Gah Sharif, Sang Haft Ghalam, Dig Masjid Jami and tens of other beautiful places exist in Herat, and they are really worth a visit.
- 01The Friday Mosque
More than 800 years old, full of life and incredibly beautiful.
- 02Herat Citadel
On a hill to the west of the old city, with great views overlooking the city.
- 03Herat National Museum
Housed in the Citadel the Herat National Museum, the collection is showcases the history of the region.
- 04Mousallah Complex
Once a mosque, a medressa, and a mausoleum, all that remains is a single, precariously tethered minaret and the large domed tomb of Gowhar Shad, who commissioned the original complex.
- 05Minarets of Sultan Baiqara
The 4 minarets are all that remains of the medressa that he built.
- 06Tomb of Jami
Jami was a very famous 15th-century Sufi poet.
From Wikivoyage: Herāt, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
Take a shower in the huge subterranean Hammams.
From Wikivoyage: Herāt, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
Herat has a mixture of traditional and modern foods. While in Herat do not forget to try Kichiri Goshti and Chainaki. Also Halwa Sohan Herat, Shirperra Zafarani and Dashlama Herati are the best sweets. Chaikanas are plentiful, and serve cheap local Afghani food. Fardeen Supermarket, jad-e Ghomandani, about two blocks north of Bagh-e Azadi. A well-stocked supermarket with plenty of western and Iranian imports.
- 01Thousand and One Nights
Near new US consulate (hill above University).
From Wikivoyage: Herāt, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Herāt
- Airports
- Herat - Khwaja Abdullah Ansari (HEA), 15 km
- Kandahar → Herāt447 km · quickest by air, 6h 53m · $190–280
- Mazar-i-Sharif → Herāt516 km · quickest by air, 6h 29m · $180–260
- Kabul → Herāt640 km · quickest by air, 4h 48m · $180–260
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Herāt
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Herāt. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- 01747 km
- 02930 km
- 031,151 km
- 041,412 km
- 051,450 km
If you know how people move in Herāt – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to Herāt
- Injil Districtdistrict in Herat Province, Afghanistan6.3 km
- Alexandria Arianacity in Afghanistan1.4 km
- Injilhuman settlement in Afghanistan6.4 km
- Kowarzanhuman settlement in Afghanistan9 km