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Kabul

Kabul

State

Province of Kabul

Country

Afghanistan

Continent

Asia

Size

275 KM2

Population

4,430,000

Spending Budget

$431 - $1,310

Famous For

  • Largest and Capital City of Afghanistan
  • Settlement or combination of rich history
  • Sublime destination of the enormous architecture and historical wonders

Best Time to Visit

  • January
  • April
  • May
  • September
  • October

History

A settlement in this area is mentioned in the Rigveda (the oldest Hindu scripture, dating from c. 1500 BCE) and by Ptolemy, the Alexandrian astronomer, geographer, and mathematician, in the 2nd century CE. The strategic location enabled control of important trade routes: from the north through the Hindu Kush mountains, from the south through the towns of Ghaznī and Gardēz, and to the east through the Khyber Pass leading to Pakistan and India. At times part of various Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in the region, Kabul was first conquered by Arab forces in 870 CE. At this stage, the walled city extended for only 12 acres (5 hectares) under the shadow of the fortified citadel, the Bālā Hiṣār. Kabul was heavily damaged and looted by Mongol forces under Genghis Khan in 1221 and remained in a diminished state for more than a century afterward. Timur (Tamerlane) captured Kabul in 1398, and the city began to revive under Timurid rule. Kabul became the initial capital of the Mughal dynasty in 1504, when occupied by the emperor Bābur, who invested in public buildings and gardens. By his own account, it was Kabul’s climate and its fruit that caused Bābur to fall in love with the city. His successors established their capital at Agra in India, and Kabul became little more than a regional outpost of the Mughal Empire until 1738, when it was occupied by the Persian general Nādir Shāh. Following his assassination, Aḥmad Shah Durrānī emerged as ruler from the power struggle, and it was his son, Timur Shah (whose restored mausoleum stands on the bank of the Kabul River), who moved his capital to Kabul, away from the fractious tribes of Kandahār. At this time, Kabul is said to have had a population of 10,000 people, including the walled quarter of Chindawol, built by the Kizilbash garrison who had served under Nādir Shāh. While the population grew to more than 50,000 within the following 20 years, the city remained largely confined to the south bank of the Kabul River. A punitive raid by British forces in 1842 resulted in the destruction of bazaars and residential property, while a second attack in 1880 saw the destruction of the Bālā Hiṣār, which had until then been the seat of power. A decade later Amir ʿAbd al-Raḥmān Khān began work on the construction of a new palace complex (now the Presidential Palace, or Arg) to the north of the Kabul River. This initiated a process of expansion outside the walled city, over what had until then been orchards and market gardens to the north. In the 1920s Amānullāh Khān constructed a new quarter on the southern edge of the city, originally built to house the newly established Kabul Municipality. It was in the nearby quarter of Kārteh-ye Seh that Kabul University, whose campus represents one of the largest surviving green spaces in the city, was established in 1932. With the growth of the city came a significant change in the pattern of settlement, as wealthier families moved from inward-looking courtyard dwellings to villa-type homes set in gardens. By the 1950s the population of Kabul had grown to about 200,000 people, many of whom had access to basic infrastructure and public facilities, often built with external aid. The 1964 master plan envisaged a city of 800,000 people within 20 years.

Present Day

Kabul has historically been the melting pot of the diverse ethnic groups who inhabit Afghanistan. As well as Pashtun and Tajik communities, who make up the majority of Afghans, there is a significant Ḥazāra population, along with Uzbek, Turkmen, and other groups. While the majority of the population is Muslim, there are also Sikh and Hindu communities in the city. Since the 1980s, rural communities displaced to the city as a result of conflict have made up a growing proportion of the urban population. As has been the case throughout its history, Kabul’s economy depends to a large degree on trade, and its bazaars are renowned throughout the region. As part of a process of modernization during the first half of the 20th century, investments were made in various industrial enterprises, including textile mills and a mechanized brick-production plant. In the 1960s the area of Bagrāmī east of the city was designated an industrial area, although this suffered extensive damage and looting by factional fighters in 1993–94. While decades of conflict left many factories idle or in ruins, a soft-drink bottling plant and a 22-acre (9-hectare) industrial park were inaugurated in 2006. The construction boom in the early 21st century generated some employment, but a significant proportion of the urban population remains dependent on government employment or on casual jobs generated by the trade and service sectors. There are a number of bus stations from which private long-distance bus services operate to other provinces. Travel within the city is possible on the public network, which has buses operating in the city, while many private minibuses ply the main routes to and from the outskirts. Hamid Karzai International Airport, which lies to the north of the city centre, has been expanded to meet an increase in both civilian and military air traffic. Among the major cultural facilities in Kabul is the National Museum of Afghanistan, in the Dārulāmān area, reopened in 2004 after being looted and damaged during factional fighting in 1993–94. Due to constraints on space, only a small proportion of its rich collection of artifacts is on display. The National Archives, in the Āsmāʾī Wāt area, has an excellent collection of rare manuscripts, but access is restricted. The National Gallery in Andārabī houses a permanent collection of paintings. There is also a French Cultural Centre, adjoining the Lycée Istiqlal, and the Goethe Institute.

Future

In November 2001, the Northern Alliance captured Kabul after the Taliban had abandoned it following the American invasion. A month later a new government under President Hamid Karzai began to assemble. In the meantime, a NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was deployed in Afghanistan. The war-torn city began to see some positive development as many expatriate Afghans returned to the country. The city's population grew from about 500,000 in 2001 to over 3 million in recent years. Many foreign embassies re-opened, and the city has been recovering ever since. In 2008 the process started to gradually hand over security responsibilities from NATO to Afghan forces. As of 2014, the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) have been in charge of security in and around the city. Kabul is periodically the scene of deadly bombings carried out mostly by the Taliban but also by the Haqqani network, ISIL, and other anti-state groups. Government employees, soldiers and ordinary civilians have all been targets of attacks. The Afghan government called the actions of the terrorists war crimes. The deadliest attack yet was a truck bombing in May 2017. Since 2010, a series of manned checkpoints called the Ring of Steel operates in the city.
Must Visit Places ------------

Bagh-e Babur Garden

The Bagh-e Babur garden is the final resting place of the first Mughal Emperor, Babur. Although present-day Afghanistan was not Babur\’s original homeland (he was born in Ferghana in present-day Uzbekistan), he felt sufficiently enamoured of Kabul that he desired to be buried here. When Babur died in 1530, he was initially buried in Agra against his wishes.

Kabul Museum

For thousands of years, Afghanistan was a crossroad for trade from India, Iran, and Central Asia. As a result, many treasures and artifacts have been discovered and collected. The Kabul Museum also had one of the largest displays of Greek and Roman coins found near Kabul.

Kabul Darul Aman Place

The reconstructed Darul Aman Palace with white and yellow colour, located on a hilltop in the western edge of Kabul, will reopen its gate to the public later this month, as the capital city is under tense reconstruction to change its war-battered face. Once the symbol of power and modernism, the castle, built by King Amanullah Khan just a year after Afghanistan’s independence, had been badly damaged during the factional fighting in the 1990s.

Tajbik Palace

The TajBik palace is actually called as Tapa-e-Tajbeg in their mother tongue. The actual meaning is Queen’s Palace. The Darul Aman is located near to this place so don’t confuse between these two places.

Qargha Reservoir

Qargha dam and reservoir plays vital role in Afghanistan agriculture. Also in entertainment activities like boating, surfing and golfing. Plays lead role in irrigation and hydropower developments for government purposes. The reservoir administration allows for fish hatchery to improve the population of fishes in the dam.