Balkh
alternative words: Balkh city, Vazirabad
keywords: town
related topics: Mazar i Sharif , Alexander the great
related web sites: http://www.encyclopedia.com/articlesnew/14573.html , http://www.geocities.com/afghanistan_ca/Balkh.html
explanation: Located in northern Afghanistan near Mazar i Sharif, Balkh is one of the oldest cities in the world. A legend says that Zoroaster would be born there. It became the capital of Bactria, one of the kingdoms founded by a general of Alexander the great in 4th century BC. Balkh was destroyed completely during Mongol invasion in 13th century. Balkh was restored by Tamerlane in 15th century but after the alleged discovery of Ali's tomb at Mazar i Sharif, Balkh has declined. The total population is 3000.
Herat
alternative words: Herat city, Harat
keywords: town
related topics: Taliban , Ismail Khan
related web sites: http://www.geocities.com/afghanistan_ca/Herat.html
explanation: Capital of Herat province in western Afghanistan and its third largest city. It is on a fertile plain irrigated by Harirud river. Herat should be founded by Alexander the great in 4th century BC. It was the capital of Tamerlane in 14th century. Its ownership was disputed with Iran and definitively settled in 1863. Hundreds of civilians were massacred after an anticommunist uprising in 1979. Herat fell to the hand of Taliban in 1995. The population is 160,000.
Jalalabad
alternative words: Jalalabad city
keywords: town
related topics: Kabul , Khyber pass
related web sites: http://www.geocities.com/afghanistan_ca/Jalalabad.html , http://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/23884.html
explanation: Capital of Nangarhar province, lying 150 km east of Kabul on a fertile valley, Jalalabad is occupying a strategic place on the road to Pakistan via Khyber pass. People are cultivating orange, rice and sugarcane and it was a prosperous winter resort during prewar period. Hada located near Jalalabad had been a great center of Gandhara's Buddhism culture between 2th and 7th centuries. During the first Afghan war in 1842, Afghan rebels laid siege to British troops.
Kabul
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alternative words: Kabul city, Kabol, City of Kabul
keywords: town
related topics: Afghanistan
related web sites: http://www.geocities.com/afghanistan_ca/Kabul.html
explanation: Capital of Afghanistan, located in east of the country, on the southern skirt of Hindukush mountains and along Kabul river. It occupies a strategic place on the road, which links central Asia and India: Khyber pass is just nearby. Kabul got a prominence in 1504 when it became the capital of Mugal empire founded by Babur. The main activities were leather, furniture and glassware but Kabul was devastated during a civil war following Soviet withdrawal in 1989. The total population is 1,400,000.
Kandahar
alternative words: Kandahar city, Qandahar
keywords: town
related topics: Taliban , Muhammad Omar
related web sites: http://www.geocities.com/afghanistan_ca/Kandahar.html
explanation: Capital of Kandahar province in south of Afghanistan, located on a fertile valley of 1000m high which produces fruits, grain, tobacco and cotton. It was the capital of Durani dynasty founded by Ahmad Shah in 1747. After the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989 and a chaotic civil war period, which followed, Taliban (religious students) led by Omar have conquered nearly all Afghanistan, stating from Kandahar. The total population is 223,000. It is de facto capital of Afghanistan.
Mazar i Sharif
alternative words: Mazar e Sharif, Mazar
keywords: town
related topics: Abdul Rashid Dostam , Afghanistan , Balkh
related web sites: http://www.geocities.com/afghanistan_ca/Mazar.html
explanation: Capital of Balkh province in northern Afghanistan and its second largest city. A legend says that the caliph Ali, the son in law of Muhammad would be earthed at the place where blue mosque was built. The climate is semi-arid. Mazar was a prosperous city during the reign of Dostam but when the town fell to Taliban in 1998, several thousands civilians, especially Iranian speaking Hazaras would be massacred in revenge of Taliban massacred in 1997. The population is 130,000.
Peshawar
alternative words: Peshawar city
keywords: pakistan , town
related topics: Muhammad Daoud , Taliban , Pashtun , Burhanuddin Rabbani , Ahmad Shah Masoud , Gulbuddin Hekmatyar
related web sites: http://www.alephx.com/peshawar/html/info.htm
explanation: Ancient capital of Gandhara kingdom more than 2000 years ago, Mughul emperor built there a fortress. During the regime of Daoud then Soviet occupation, many Afghans such as Rabbani, Daoud and Hekmatyar fled to Peshawar to organize an Islamic resistance. Peshawar has been also an important center to form Taliban soldiers thanks to its inhabitants, most of them Pashtuns. The total population is 750,000. Incidentally, Peshawar means "place at frontier" in Pashtu language.
Quetta
alternative words: Quetta city, Kwatah
keywords: pakistan , town
related topics: Kandahar , Pashtu
related web sites: http://anjum.cjb.net
explanation: Capital of Balutchistan in the western Pakistan near Afghanistan border, Quette has been a strategic city since old times thanks to its communication network with Iran and Afghanistan. The ancient capital of Afghanistan, Kandahar is 200km northwest from Quetta through Khojak pass. Quetta became a part of British India in 1876. The great earthquake of May 1935 completely destroyed Quetta. The total population is about 280,000. Incidentally, Quetta means "fort" in Pashtu language.
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