Herat

One of the oldest cities of Afghanistan and Central Asia, Herat dates back to Achaemenian times and is described as Haraiva. The town must have been even older and could be one of the earliest settlements of Aryans on migration. In the Zoroastrian Avesta it is mentioned as Aria a town lying on the banks of Harayu or the golden water is resent day Hari Rud or Hari river which passes about 5 kms from the town. After the fall of Achaemenian Empire at the hands of Alexander the Great around 320 BC, his forces occupied the town in pursuit of fugitive Bessus who was responsible for maiming Darius the last Achaemenid. He took over the fortress and rebuilt it and expanded its walls. The city must have been of important status as has been mentioned in the inscriptions of Behistoon and its people shown on the Great Staircase along with other subject nations of the Achaemenian Empire. At the time of Alexander the Great capturing the town of Artacoana, the capital of Aria province the satrap of the town was Satibarzanes. Later the city was inherited by Seleucus Nicator but then taken over by the Scythians and then subsequently by the Parthians.

The Kushanas and then the town was destroyed by Hepthalites but came to prominence during the Sassanian rule from 225-652 AD, Hareva is mentioned in the Sassanian buildings of Kaaba-i-Zarthustra at Nagshe Rustam near Takhte Rustam(Persepolis). The later Sassanian rulers were at constant war with Hepthalite rulers. Then with the arrival of Arabs around mid of 7th AD while they were consolidating their power in Khorassan were involved in dissipating the last rulers of the Sassanian dynasty, Heerat was being transformed into a Muslim stronghold in the later years to become the springboard for attacks on other Central Asian kingdoms which were then subjugated one by one and mass conversions were effected due hostile policies of the Arabs in the region. Then begins the period of successive Muslim ruling dynasties.

The Umayyads and Abbasids were the last Arab group to be supplanted by local dynasties like Tahirids, Saffarids, Samanids, Ghaznavids, Seljukis, Khorezmians and Ghorids till the beginning of 13th Century AD when we see the invasions of the Mongols under Genghiz Khan in 1225 AD and after the respite and settling of the Mongols we see rise of Ilkhanids who were converted to Shia Islam around 1258 AD continued to rule for a long time. There was another smaller dynasty of Kartids but the complete overhaul of Timurids specifically laid foundations of a strong Timurid Dynasty whose remnants still are the highlights of the town of Heerat. At the end of Timurid power in 16th Century it was wrested by the strong Saffavids in 1510 AD to last till the 18th Century AD. Afterwards begins the period of indigenous Afghan rulers. We must recognize that Timurid rule had significant impression on the town and most of the buildings were constructed during their rule

The places of interest in Herat are as follows:

MASJID-E-JAM:
The Friday Mosque or Masjid-e-Jam is Herat number one attraction and among the finest Islamic buildings in the world, certainly the finest in Afghanistan. “Masjid-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.

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.

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. 

TOMB OF THE POET JAMI:
The other attraction in Herat is the tomb of famous 15th century Persian poet, Nur-ud-din Abdurrakhman Jami, who died in 1492. Jami was the greatest of the 15th 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.

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 11th 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.

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.

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).