Herat
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.
Getting to Herat
The Herat International Airport is 15 km south of the city just east of the road towards Farah. Daily flights from Kabul are available from Kam Air and Ariana for 3500 Afs. UNAMA and UNHAS operate flights between Kabul and Herat, occasionally via Bamiyan, available to staff of partner NGOs.
Worth seeing
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.
Things to do
Take a shower in the huge subterranean Hammams.
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).
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see file page), Wikimedia Commons.