Exploring Ancient Bactrian Cities In Afghanistan: A Historical Journey

Afghanistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia and South Asia with a rich and tumultuous history. The country has been occupied by countless nations, from the Neolithic tribespeople of the Indus Valley to Alexander the Great, the Muslim Arabs of the Middle East, Genghis Khan, the Mughal Empire, the Soviets, and the British. Today, Afghanistan is known for its diverse culture, ethnic groups, and religious sites.

One of the unique cities of Afghanistan is Balkh, considered one of the oldest cities in the world and once the centre of the Bactrian Empire. The city has a history spanning almost 4,000 years and was a significant centre of Zoroastrianism, Islam, and Buddhism. Today, visitors to Balkh can explore the ancient areas of the city, which include Buddhist constructions and the ruins of the Green Mosque and the Nou Dome Mosque.

The city of Balkh, once the Bactrian Empire's epicentre, is approximately 4,000 years old

Balkh's history dates back to around 500 BCE when a settlement was established at the site. In 330 BCE, Alexander the Great captured the city, making it the capital of the Greek satrapy of Bactria. Over the centuries, Balkh fell to various nomadic conquerors, including the Turks and Kushans, until it was decisively taken by the Arabs in the 8th century.

Under the Abbasids and Samanids, Balkh flourished as a capital and centre of learning, earning the title "Mother of Cities". The city was completely destroyed by the Mongols under Genghis Khan in 1220. Despite its rich history, Balkh has faced destruction and rebuilding several times. Today, the ancient city is a shadow of its former self, with only a few remnants of its past glory remaining.

The Blue Mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif is famed as the burial site of Ali bin Talib, the cousin of Prophet Mohammed

Mazar-e-Sharif, the fourth-largest city in Afghanistan, is famed for its Blue Mosque, a burial site that is believed by some Muslims to be that of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin of Prophet Mohammed. The city attracts thousands of devotees every year who come to pay their respects.

The Blue Mosque is characterised by its blue-tiled sanctuary and mosque in the centre of the city. The mosque is also known as the Shrine of Hazrat Ali and is surrounded by gardens. The site includes a series of five separate buildings, with the shrine at the centre and the mosque at the western end, allowing Muslims to pray towards Mecca. The blue-tiled domes of the mosque rise above the shrine's roofline and can be seen from across the city. The mosque is also surrounded by thousands of white doves, adding to the sense of peace and tranquility.

The history of the mosque is believed to date back to the 1100s, when a local mullah had a dream that Ali bin Abi Talib was buried near the city of Balkh. In 1136, the Seljuk sultan Ahmed Sanjar ordered a city and shrine to be built on the spot. However, this was destroyed by Genghis Khan in the 13th century. The shrine was rebuilt in the 15th century by Sultan Husayn Mirza Bayqarah, and the city of Mazar-e-Sharif grew around it.

The Blue Mosque is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Afghanistan, with its intricate Islamic architecture and polychrome tile mosaic. The building has been well-maintained over the centuries, with various rulers making repairs and renovations. While most of the shrine's decorations are the result of modern restoration work, one of the few remaining artefacts from the earlier shrine is a marble slab inscribed with the words, "Ali, Lion of God."

The city of Kandahar is the traditional seat of Pashtun power and was the capital of the last Afghan empire

Kandahar is the traditional seat of Pashtun power and was the capital of the last Afghan empire. It is Afghanistan's second-largest city after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118. It is the capital of Kandahar Province and the centre of the larger cultural region called Loy Kandahar. It is one of the most culturally significant cities of the Pashtuns and has been their traditional seat of power for more than 300 years. It is a major trading centre for sheep, wool, cotton, silk, felt, food grains, fresh and dried fruit, and tobacco. The region produces fine fruits, especially pomegranates and grapes, and the city has plants for canning, drying, and packing fruit, and is a major source of marijuana and hashish.

Kandahar was founded by Alexander the Great in 329 BC and was named Alexandria Arachosia. It was the first capital of the Hotak dynasty and was the capital of the Afghan Empire under Ahmad Shah Durrani. It is the founding city and spiritual centre of the Taliban. Despite the capital of Afghanistan being Kabul, Kandahar is the seat of power in Afghanistan as the supreme leader and his spiritual advisers are based there. It has therefore been called the de facto capital of Afghanistan.

Bamiyan was once a hub for Hindu-Buddhist worship and is home to the giant Buddhas of Bamyan

Bamiyan, located in the Bamiyan Valley of central Afghanistan, was once a hub for Hindu-Buddhist worship. The valley was a vital link in the trade routes that spanned from China to India via ancient Bactria (present-day Afghanistan). The valley, enclosed in the high mountains of the Hindu Kush, was inhabited since at least the 3rd century BC. The passage of merchants through this natural corridor brought together languages, beliefs, and traditions, contributing to its development as a major religious and cultural centre.

The rise of Bamiyan was closely connected with the spread of Buddhism across Central Asia, which was linked to the political and economic currents of that time. In the first century AD, a semi-nomadic tribe called the Kushans swept out of Bactria, establishing a large empire that reached from the Caspian Sea deep into northern India. The Kushans made themselves the unavoidable middlemen between China, India and Rome, and prospered on the revenues of the Silk Road. In doing so, they fostered a syncretic culture, in which tribal traditions from Central Asia fused with artistic conventions derived from the Hellenized Mediterranean and with the ideologies coming from Buddhist India.

Buddhism was expanding rapidly in the 1st to 5th centuries AD, and the kingdom of Gandhara in northern Pakistan and northeastern Afghanistan became a centre of Buddhist learning and culture, in particular, innovative sculpture, under the Kushans. The Bamiyan Valley became a Buddhist religious site on the Silk Road under the Kushans, remaining so until the Islamic conquests of 770 CE.

Bamiyan is home to the Buddhas of Bamiyan, two monumental Buddhist statues that were built in the 6th century. The larger statue, named "Salsal" ("the light shines through the universe"), stood at 55 metres (180 feet) tall, while the smaller statue, called "Shah Mama" ("Queen Mother"), stood at 38 metres (125 feet) tall. The statues were built into niches in the sandstone cliffs, with the main bodies hewn directly from the cliffs and details modelled in mud mixed with straw and coated with stucco. The Buddhas of Bamiyan were surrounded by numerous caves and surfaces decorated with paintings, most of which dated from the 6th to 8th centuries CE.

In March 2001, the Buddhas of Bamiyan were destroyed by the Taliban following an order from their leader, Mullah Muhammad Omar. The destruction took several weeks, with anti-aircraft guns, dynamite, rockets, and mines used to obliterate the statues. The destruction of the Buddhas was met with international condemnation and was seen as a great loss to many Afghan people, as the statues were a source of national pride despite Islam being the dominant religion in the region.

Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, is the country's only city with over 1 million people

Kabul is located in a strategic position, nestled in a high, narrow valley between mountain ranges, commanding the approaches to the Khyber Pass. This ancient city has a rich history, having been conquered and rebuilt numerous times over its 3,500-year existence. It has been a cultural melting pot, influenced by various civilisations and serving as a centre for Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam.

The old section of Kabul is characterised by narrow, winding streets and bustling bazaars, while the modern part boasts administrative and commercial buildings. The city is known for its historical gardens, such as the Gardens of Babur, bazaars, and palaces like the Darul Aman Palace. Kabul also has a vibrant sports culture, with cricket and football being particularly popular.

Kabul is Afghanistan's economic and cultural hub, with a diverse population comprising various ethnic groups such as Tajiks, Pashtuns, Hazaras, Uzbeks, Turkmen, Baloch, and Afghan Hindus. The city has experienced rapid urbanisation, with modern developments and infrastructure projects underway. However, it has also endured periods of conflict and destruction, with the Taliban capturing the city in 1996 and imposing strict Islamic rule.

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