PLACE TYPE
Provinces
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Baghlan
Where the road from Kabul comes down off the Hindu Kush: river valleys, sugar-beet fields and the Kushan temple of Surkh Kotal.
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Badakhshan
Afghanistan’s high north-east: the Kokcha valley, the Pamir and the Wakhan, home of lapis lazuli and of many mountain languages.
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Takhar
Between Kunduz and Badakhshan: fertile river plains, salt hills praised by Marco Polo, and the Greek city of Ai-Khanoum on the Amu Darya.
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Panjshir
A narrow river valley walled by high peaks, known for its emerald mines and mountain villages.
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Kandahar
A historic trading city of the south, surrounded by orchards and famous for its pomegranates.
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Balkh
Called the “Mother of Cities”, Balkh was a centre of Bactria and later of Islamic scholarship.
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Herat
An old city of art and learning on the Hari River, famous for Timurid architecture and tilework.
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Bamyan
Dramatic mountains, ancient cliff sanctuaries and a rich cultural heritage in the heart of the Hindu Kush.
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Kabul
The capital, set in a high valley ringed by mountains, with gardens, bazaars and layers of history.
