HERAT

Herat was one of the largest cultural and Islamic centers in the Central Asia in 14^th through 16^th centuries. Herat is the third large city in Afghanistan with 150,000 population in 1992. It is located in the western part of Afghanistan bordered with Iran and custom port of Islam Quala connect the 02 countries; Afghanistan & Iran. Herat is the center of the same name of Herat Province.

Herat was once a small, provincial, relatively green, laze-about place that everyone seemed to like, an easygoing oasis after a lot of hassle and dry desert. In the 15^th century, Herat was the Timurid center of art, poetry, miniature painting & music, blending Persian, Central Asian and Afghan cultures to create one of Central Asia’s cultural highlights.

From the first half of 15^th century to the beginning of 16^th century, Herat intensively grew by territorial size and population. Particularly, by the time of Ali Shir Nawahee, this city developed not only as capital, i.e., largest center of handicraft productions and trade, but also as outstanding artistic and cultural center of Central Asia. Similar to the city of Herat had not been neither in all Middle East region, nor in Central Asia.

The economy of Herat is based on agriculture, the planting of cotton, rice, and wheat. Home industries produce rugs, carpets, silk materials, fur jackets and products of camel hair. Herati rugs have a worldwide value. The economic and agricultural activities in Herat have concentrated in the valleys of Hari Rod River. Herat historically has a great historic and tourist value. The traditional buildings and mosques, which form the dominant architectural accent of city, have played a significant role to attract mass of population and tourists to this historic city, which is 645 km west of Kabul.

The places of interest in Herat are as follows:

Aa) MASJET-E-JAM:
The Friday Mosque or Masjet-e-Jam is Herat number one attraction and among the finest Islamic buildings in the world, certainly the finest in Afghanistan. “Masjet-e-Jam” is the largest building in this region and is known for its beautiful tile and mosaic decoration. Ghorid Sultan Ghiyas-ud-din originally laid out the form in which it stands today on the site of an earlier 10th century mosque in year 1200. The mosque is an exciting example of the artistic sophistication of the Ghorid. The various artworks in this mosque also provide the visitors an opportunity to compare the Ghorid and Timurid tiles work. The restoration work on this mosque started in 1943 as an effort to return it back to its past glory. Besides the artwork, other attractions in this mosque are the huge bronze cauldron, which used as a receptacle for Sherbet (a sweet drink) but now a day it is used for collection of donations, the unadorned tomb of Sultan Ghiyas-ud-din, and a tall pillar in the garden that was erected to commemorates Afghanistan’s fallen soldiers.

Bb) THE CITADEL (Qala-i-Ikhtiyar-ud-din)
Built in its present form by Malik Fakhruddin in 1305 A.D., this citadel has a long & stormy history as conquerors like Genghis Khan and Tamerlane fought beneath its walls. This fort, originally built by Alexander the Great, suffered repeated attacks over the history but still dominated the landscape of Heart. Held by the Ghaznavids, the Seljuks, the Ghorids, the Mongols, the Timurids, the Safavids and others, the citadel is a reminder of the time of Kings, conquerors and great pageantry.

Cc) MOUSALLAH COMPLEX:
On a short walk from the city center are the remains of old madrassa built by the Queen Gaur Shad in 1417. The wife of Timurid ruler Shah Rukh, Gaur Shad was the daughter-in-law of Timur and a remarkable woman in her own right who kept the empire intact for many years. The Mousallah Complex has been described as the most beautiful example in color in architecture ever devised by man to the glory of his God and himself. Gaur Shad’s mausoleum still stands near the madrassa. There were 12 minarets in this complex but six of them were demolished by British troops in 1885 whereas earthquakes subsequently downed rest of the three in 1931 & 1951. The mausoleum of Gaur Shad still stands near the madrassa. This is a beautiful tomb with tile work and typical ribbed dome as of Tamerlane in Samarkand.

Dd) TOMB OF THE POET JAMI:
The other attraction in Herat is the tomb of famous 15^th century Persian poet, Nur-ud-din Abdurrakhman Jami, who died in 1492. Jami was the greatest of the 15^th century’s poets, a titan during a period characterized by supreme literary brilliance. His simple tomb sheltered by a spreading pistachio tree, lies in the garden of a mosque.

Ee) GAZAR GAH:
The shrine complex of Gazar Gah (1425) is about 5 km east of Heart. Here Shah Rukh built many buildings, which were lavishly decorated with brilliant tile work. The main attraction is the tomb of Khawaja Abdullah Ansar, a famous Sufi mystic & poet who dies in 11^th century. Crouching in front of the shrine’s main portal, its nose resting lightly on its paws, there is a white marble statue of an animal, variously thought to be a lion or a dog. Next to him is the tomb of Amir Dost Mohammad, one of the former kings of Afghanistan. The other main attractions in Gazar Gah are Main iwan (main court), a fifteen-foot marble pillar depicting the artwork of Timurid period. A remarkable sarcophagus called Haft Qalam (seven pens) fashioned of black marble, Khana Zarnegar (Pavilion adorned with gold) and Hauze Zamzam (Sacred water pond) are the other attractions.

Ff) CHAHRSUQ:
Herat bazaars are full of fascination and colour. As in most large towns in Afghanistan, the four main bazaars of the old city come together at a central square called the Chahrsuq or Four Bazaars. This is the hub of the old city and in addition to the shops lining the streets there are several covered bazaars in the vicinity. Another monument of architectural interest situated within this bazaar is a large covered reservoir of 1634, which was used to distribute water in the city during the Safavid’s period.

Gg) CHISHT-I-SHARIF: Chisht-i-Sharif is some 177 km from Herat city. It is a scant but as you approach it across a plateau, you can see the 02 famous gumbad or domes of Chisht. The town with its meandering bazaar street sits in the ravine between these plateaus. Winding down & up, you will find an avenue of pine trees leading directly to 02 ruined buildings now standing in the middle of an extensive graveyard. Experts argue as to the purpose of these buildings. Some speak of them as mausoleums. Others see them as parts of a grand complex of buildings, a madrassa, perhaps with its mosque. The mutilated molded terracotta brick decoration can only speak softly their former magnificence. Stylistically, the decoration of these buildings falls into the category of Ghorid arch in the Masjet-e-Jami and the minaret of Jam, both of which bear the name of Ghiyas-ud-din Ghori (1157-1202).