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130

HERA

T&

NORTHWESTERN

AFGHANISTAN

l o n e l y p l a n e t . c o m

Herat & NorthwesternAfghanistan

Khorasan is the oyster shell of the world, and Herat is its pearl, says an old proverb,

referring to this Afghan citys pre-eminence in a region that covered much of medieval

Iran and Turkmenistan. Its a saying that still holds much truth, for Herat still shines as

the cultural centre of Afghanistan, a seat of poetry, learning and architecture. Invaders

from Genghis Khan to the Russians have all taken turns at flattening it, but Herat still

manages to hold its head high, offer its visitors tea and suggest they sample its attrac-

tions. And theres much to take in, from the Citadel that towers over the Old City toits glorious Friday Mosque and many shrines. Those coming from Kabul will be equally

amazed by the efficiency of its infrastructure, not least the electricity supply.

From this ancient Silk Road oasis, the road crosses the Safed Koh mountains the

last outpost of the Hindu Kush to reach the northwest. Here the land flattens out to

form part of the Central Asian steppe, a semidesert thats home to Kuchi nomads and

Turkmen and Uzbek farmers. This is the main centre for the greatest of the countrys

folk arts, the Afghan carpet, and the bright swatches of knotted wool contrast sharply

with the dusty landscape that produces them.

HIGHLIGHTS

Gaze in awe at the dazzling mosaic tiling

of the Friday Mosque(p136) in Herat

Contemplate poetry with the Sufis at

Gazar Gah (p138), one of Afghanistans

holiest sites

Climb the battlements of Herats Citadel

(p137) for sweeping views across the city

Haggle for carpets at the bazaar in And-

khoi (p144), the northwests most tradi-

tional market town

Gazar Gah

Andkhoi

Herat

HE

RAT

&

NORTHWESTERNA

FGHANISTAN

Chahchaheh

Sarakhs

Tabakdan

Kanavis

Mozdura

n

Shurak

Maleki

Natu

Shahr-enow

Kariz

Salami

Taybad

Sangan

Qarqin

Fazelabad

Ortepa

Jarghan

Qurchi

Almar

Belcheragh

MariChaq

Bakhtgan-

eBala

Khaval

Ghormach

Chechaktu

Sar-eHow

z

BalaMurghab

Tarkhoj

Tuta

Gazak

Chalkhi

Golra

n

Da

rreh-

ye

Bum

T

utachi

DarraheAwd

Khwazagak

Ab-iBarik-

iQudi

K

hwaja

G

ulBed

DoAb

KharBid

Besa

DehBerenj

Qaleh

Syahkhaki

DowlatYar

Benos

Darrah

Badgah

Lal-o-Sar

Jangal

Karukh

Kusurmand

Shekiban

ZendehJan

Guna

bad

Harirud

Marveh

Kort

QosTirdawan

Qaleh-ye

TagabEshlan

MasjedNegar

Qocanghi

Majnabad

Karlyuk

Dzhu-

Dzhu-klu

SaryYazy

Malay-

Adzhi

Turkmenkarakul

Torghundi

Kushki

Obey

Qaysar

Serkhetabat

Chaghcheran

Fariman

Torbat-eja

m

Dali

QarchiGak

ChaharBagh

Aqcha

Yusof

MirzaiKhvajeh

DoKuh

ChubBash-e

Kalan Y

angiAregh

Pashmi

Qaleh

SariPul

Kariz

YangiQaleh

Ghurian

Bayram-ali

Mary

Mukry

Murga

b

Ovaz-Dzhaltay

KrasnyyOktyabr

Tedzhen

Iolotan

Dushak

KrasnayaZvezda

Miana

Akhchadepe

Serakhs

Takhta

Bazar

Kansan

Islam

Qala

ImamNazar

Shiberghan

Maimana

Qala-e

Nau

ofJam

Minaret

Andkhoi

Daula

tabad

Chist-e

Sharif

Herat

Har

iRu

d

IRAN

TURKMENISTAN

Badghis

Ghowr

Herat

Faryab

Sar-ePol

Jowzjan

Balkh

Dasht-eLaili

Desert

SabzakPass

(2400m)

To

Mazar-e

Sharif(50km);

Kabul(480km)

To

Bamiyan

(200km)

ToKandahar

(500

km);

Kabul(988km)

ToMashhad

(225km)

To

Mary

(2

5km)

NORTHWESTERNAFGHANISTA

N

0

200km

0

120miles

Northwestern Afghanistan

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l o n e l y p l a n e t . c o m

HERAT

&

NORTHWESTE

RNA

FGHANISTAN

There are several cheap restaurants andchaikhanas immediately to the south andeast of the main square, serving kebabs,pulaoand mantu.

Getting There & AwayThere should be a weekly flight to Kabul,provided Ariana wants to operate it it wasout of action when we asked around. Theairport is 10km east of the city.

Minibuses to Mazar-e Sharif (100Afg, twohours) fill up quickly from a small terminalon the eastern edge of Shiberghan lookfor the brick factories nearby. Transportto Aqcha (40Afg, 30 minutes) also leavesfrom here.

Andkhoi transport (70Afg, one hour)leaves from west of the square, past oneof Dostums gauche terracotta-and-lobster-pink palaces.

146 T H E N O R T H W E S T S h i b e r g h a n

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