Herat

Herāt
هرات
—  City  —
Nickname(s): The Pearl of Khorasan
Herāt is located in Afghanistan
Herāt
Location in Afghanistan
Coordinates:
Country  Afghanistan
Province Herat Province
Elevation 920 m (3,018 ft)
Population (2006)
 - Total 349,000
  Central Statistics Office of Afghanistan
Time zone Afghanistan Standard Time (UTC+4:30)

Herāt (Persian: هرات) is the third largest city of Afghanistan and the capital of the province also known as Herāt. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of 397,500. The city is linked with Kandahar, Mazar-e Sharif and Kabul via a circular highway that stretches across the country.

Situated in a fertile area, Herāt is about 2,700 years old and was traditionally known for its wine. The city has many historic buildings, although these have suffered damage in various military conflicts during the last few decades. It is dominated by the remains of a citadel constructed by Alexander the Great. During the Middle Ages Herāt became one of the important cities of Khorasan, it was known as the Pearl of Khorasan.

Herāt lies on the ancient trade routes of the Middle East, Central and South Asia. The roads from Herāt to Iran, Turkmenistan, and other parts of the country are still strategically important. The city is the gateway to Iran, collecting the highest amount of customs revenue for Afghanistan.[1] Persian-speaking Tajiks are the main inhabitants of the city, and are roughly the same as the Persians of Eastern Iran.[2][3]

Contents

History

Herāt during the period of the Medes (about 600 BCE) and the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550-330 BC).

Herat dates back to ancient times, but its exact age remains unknown. During the period of the Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550-330 BC), the surrounding district was known as Haraiva (in Old Persian), and in classical sources the region was correspondingly known as Aria (Areia). In the Zoroastrian Avesta, the district is mentioned as Haroiva. The name of the district and its main town is derived from that of the chief river of the region, the Hari River (Old Iranian Harayu, "Golden Water"), which traverses the district and passes some 5 km (3.1 mi) south of modern Herāt. Hari is mentioned in Sanscrit as yellow or golden color equivalent to Persian Zar meaning Gold (yellow). The naming of a region and its principal town after the main river is a common feature in this part of the world—compare the adjoining districts/rivers/towns of Arachosia and Bactria.

The district Aria of the Persian Achaemenid Empire is mentioned in the provincial lists that are included in various royal inscriptions, for instance, in the Behistun inscription of Darius I (ca. 520 BC).[4] Representatives from the district are depicted in reliefs, e.g., at the royal Achaemenid tombs of Naqsh-e Rustam and Persepolis.

Herodotus described Herāt as the bread-basket of Central Asia. At the time of Alexander the Great, Aria was obviously an important district. It was administered by a satrap called Satibarzanes, who was one of the three main Persian officials in the East of the Empire, together with the satrap Bessus of Bactria and Barsaentes of Arachosia. In late 330 BC, Alexander the Great captured the Arian capital that was called Artacoana. The town was rebuilt and the citadel was constructed. It became part of the Seleucid Empire but was captured by others on various occasions and became part of the Parthian Empire in 167 BC.

In the Sasanian period (226-652), Harēv is listed in an inscription on the Ka'ba-i Zartosht at Naqsh-e Rustam; and Hariy is mentioned in the Pahlavi catalogue of the provincial capitals of the empire. In around 430, the town is also listed as having a Christian community, with a Nestorian bishop[5].

In the last two centuries of Sasanian rule, Aria (Herāt) had great strategic importance in the endless wars between the Sasanians, the Chionites and the Hephthalites who had been settled in modern northern Afghanistan since the late 4th century.

Islamic conquest

The Islamic conquest came with the Arabs who arrived in 7th century.

“ even as late as the end of the 6th century the famous general Bahrām Chobin could use Herat as base for fighting the Turks . But durying the civil wars in the west which began immediately afterwards , the oasis slipped out of Sassanian hands . By the early seventh century it was considered enemy territory . When the Arabs arrived they found in Herat no marzban contrary to what they had done in safely held Sassanian bases such as Marv and Nishapur . The stereotype Arab accounts of conquest of course mention the conquerors(and there are several candidates for this honor) as well as the size of the tribute (1000,000 Dirhams). In reality the enclave was more an allied principality than a subjugated province . . Only under the Abbasids and later the Tahirids Samanids, Ghaznavids.[6] ”
The famous Friday Mosque of Herat or Juma Mosque, located roughly in the center of the city.

The city of Herāt became well known with the advent of the Arabs in the middle of the 7th century. When the Arab armies appeared in Khorasan in the 650s, Herāt was counted among the twelve capital towns of the Sasanian Empire. The city was taken in AD 652 by General Abdul Rehman ibn Samrah. In around 786-809, it was part of the Abbasid Caliphate, later, it was ruled by the Tahirid dynasty, and after 867-869, the Saffarid dynasty took control.

Herāt was under the rule of King Nuh III of Samanid[7] the seventh of the Samanid line—at the time of Sebük Tigin and his older son, Mahmud of Ghazni.

The governor of Herāt was a noble by the name of Faik[7], who governed on behalf of Nuh III. Faik was a powerful, but insubordinate governor of Nuh III; and had been punished by Nuh III. Faik made overtures to Bogra Khan and Ughar Khan of Turkestan. Bogra Khan answered Faik's call, came to Herāt and became its master. The Samanids fled, betrayed at the hands of Faik to whom the defence of Herāt had been entrusted by Nuh III.[8]

In 994, Nuh III invited Alp Tigin to come to his aid. Alp Tigin, along with Mahmud of Ghazni, defeated Faik and annexed Herāt, Nishapur and Tous.[9]

Before 1040, Herāt was ruled by the Ghaznavids. In 1040, it was captured by the Seljuk Empire. Yet, in 1175, it was captured by the Ghorids and then came under the Khawarazm Empire. In this period Herāt became an important center for the production of metal goods, especially in bronze, often decorated with elaborate inlays in precious metals.

Herāt was captured by the Mongols in 1221 and destroyed by Genghis Khan. The city was given to one of Genghis Khan's sons, Tuli, but the locals revolted and killed the Mongol garrison. After hearing the news, Genghis Khan rode furiously upon the city with 80,000 soldiers and besieged it for about six months, killing everyone except some forty.[10] In 1245, it was given to the Kart Maliks. Around 1381, the city was destroyed again by Timur. Under his son Shah Rukh Herāt was rebuilt and became an important center under the Timurid Empire. In the late 15th century, the Musallah complex, with many minarets, was built under the rule of Queen Gawharshad. Her tomb complex is considered one of the great monuments of Timurid architectural carving. The Black Sheep Turkomans (Qara Qoyunlu) at one point established their capital in Herāt during the 15th century[11], and in 1506 it was captured by the Uzbeks.

Safavid Empire

Only few years later the city was taken by Shah Ismail Safavi, to become part of a new Safavid Persian Empire. Mughal Emperor Babur, who had his first drink of wine in Herat, visited the city in early 16th century but decided to abandon it.[12]

Herat was lost by the Safavids to the Uzbeks of Transoxiana, but was regained following a Safavid counter-offensive around 1600 CE, along with Sabzevar and Farah.[13]

Modern history

In 1710 the city fell to Mirwais Khan Hotak and was ruled by the Ghilzai Afghans until 1736 when Nader Shah Afsharid swept through with his forces. After Nader Shah's death in 1747, Ahmad Shah Durrani took possession of Herāt after almost a year of siege and bloody conflict, and the city became part of the Durrani Empire. In 1824, the city became independent for several years when the Empire was split between the Durranis and the Barakzais. Qajars of Persia tried to take city from Durranis in 1852 and again in 1856; both times the British helped to repel the Persians, the second time through the Anglo-Persian War. The city fell to Dost Mohammad Khan of the Barakzai dynasty in 1863.

Most of the Musallah complex in Herat was cleared in 1885 by the British army to get a good line of sight for their artillery against Russian invaders who never came. This was but one small sidetrack in the Great Game, a century-long conflict between the British Empire and the Russian Empire in 19th century.

Jihad monument in 2004

During the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, Herat Airport was used by the Soviet forces. Even before the Soviet invasion at the end of 1979, there was a substantial presence of Soviet advisors in the city with their families. From 10 to 20 March 1979 the army in Herāt under the control of Ismail Khan mutinied. Reprisals by the Afghan government followed, and between 3000 and 5000 people were killed.[14] City itself was recaptured with tanks and airborne forces.

Ismail Khan became the leading Mujahedin commander in Herāt. After the departure of the Soviets, he became governor of Herāt. In September 1995 the city was captured by the Taliban without much resistance, forcing Ismail Khan to flee. However, after the US invasion of Afghanistan, on November 12, 2001, it was liberated from the Taliban by the Northern Alliance and Ismail Khan returned to power (see Battle of Herat). In 2004, Mirwais Sadiq, Aviation Minister of Afghanistan and the son of Ismail Khan, was ambushed and killed in Herāt by a local rival group. More than 200 people were arrested under suspicion of involvement.[15]

Herāt is presently in full control of Afghanistan's new central government, led by Hamid Karzai, who was initially backed by the United States. The Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police provide security in the city as well as the whole province. There are also presence of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) forces in the area, which is led by Italy and assisting the Military of Afghanistan.

Due to their close connection, Iran began investing in the development of Herat's power, economy and education sectors. As a result, the city now enjoys 24-hour electricity, well-paved roads, and a higher sense of security. Some locals jokingly called Herāt the "Dubai of Afghanistan."[16]

Climate

Herāt
Climate chart ()
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
52
 
9
−3
 
 
45
 
12
−1
 
 
55
 
18
4
 
 
29
 
24
9
 
 
9.8
 
30
13
 
 
0
 
35
18
 
 
0
 
37
21
 
 
0
 
35
19
 
 
0
 
31
13
 
 
1.7
 
25
7
 
 
11
 
18
1
 
 
36
 
12
−1
average max. and min. temperatures in °C
precipitation totals in mm
source: World Climate Charts

Although Herāt is approximately 240 m (790 ft) lower than Kandahar, the summer climate is more temperate, and the climate throughout the year is far from disagreeable. From May to September, the wind blows from the northwest with great force.

The winter is tolerably mild; snow melts as it falls, and even on the mountains does not lie long. Three years out of four it does not freeze hard enough for the people to store ice. The eastern reaches of the Hari River, including the rapids, are frozen hard in the winter, and people travel on it as on a road.

Demography

The population of Herat numbers 397,500.[17] Persian-speaking Tajiks and Farsiwans form the overwhelming majority of the city, comprising ca. 85% of the population. Pashtuns (10%), Hazaras (2%), Uzbeks (2%), and Turkmens (1%) form sizable minorities.[18]

The native language of Herat (known as Herātī) belongs to the Khorāsānī cluster within Persian and is akin to the Persian dialects of eastern Iran, notably that of Mashhad and Iranian Khorasan.

Notable people from Herāt

Transport

Air

Rail

In 2007, Iran and Afghanistan finalized an agreement for the establishment of a rail service between the two countries. Construction of the 191 km (119 mi) railway, from Khaf in Iran to Herāt, is in progress on the Iranian side of the border.[19] There is also the prospect of an extension across Afghanistan to Sher Khan Bandar. See railway stations in Afghanistan.

Places of interest

Herāt mosque classical minaret
Herāt City Old Fort
Goharshād's tomb

Of the more than dozen minarets that once stood in Herāt, many have been toppled from war and neglect over the past century. Recently, however, everyday traffic threatens many of the remaining unique towers by shaking the very foundations they stand on. Cars and trucks that drive on a road encircling the ancient city rumble the ground every time they pass these historic structures.UNESCO personnel and Afghan authorities have been working to stabilize the Fifth Minaret.[20][21]

Gallery

Images of Herāt

Khwaja 'Abd Allah Ansari shrine

Portal

Cemetery

Cemetery

The ancient citadel sometimes attributed to Alexander the Great

A commercial center in Herāt

Clothes bazaar

Street in Herat

Herāt in fiction

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Bomb blast hits west Afghan city". BBC News. August 3, 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8180832.stm. Retrieved March 26, 2010. 
  2. ↑ H. F. Schurmann, The Mongols of Afghanistan: an Ethnography of the Moghols and Related Peoples of Afghanistan. The Hague: Mouton, 1962: Jstor.org; p. 75: "... the Tajiks of Western Afghanistan [are] roughly the same as the Khûrâsânî Persians on the other side of the line ..."
  3. ↑ Afghanistan's Provinces– Herat at NPS.edu
  4. ↑ Translated by Herbert Cushing Tolman. "The Behistan Inscription of King Darius". Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee. http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/txt/ah/Persia/Behistun_txt.html. 
  5. ↑ The earliest recorded date of a bishop in Herat is 424. http://www.nestorian.org/location_of_nestorian_bishops.html
  6. ↑ The decline of Iranshahr: irrigation and environments in the history of the Middle East 500BC to AD 1500... By Peter Christensen Page 198
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 The heart of Asia: a history of Russian Turkestan and the Central Asian Khanates from the earliest times By Francis Henry Skrine, Edward Denison RossEdition: illustrated Published by Routledge, 2004 Page 117 ISBN 0700710175, 9780700710171.
  8. ↑ The heart of Asia: a history of Russian Turkestan and the Central Asian Khanates from the earliest times By Francis Henry Skrine, Edward Denison RossEdition: illustrated Published by Routledge, 2004 Page 117 ISBN 0700710175, 9780700710171
  9. ↑ Skrine, Francis Henry; Ross, Edward Denison (2004). The heart of Asia: a history of Russian Turkestan and the Central Asian Khanates from the earliest times. Routledge. pp. 117. ISBN 9780700710171. 
  10. ↑ Intercontinentalkabul.com
  11. ↑ Patrick Clawson (2005). Eternal Iran. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 23. ISBN 1-4039-6276-6. 
  12. ↑ Packard Humanities Institute - Persian Literature in Translation - Memoirs of Babur
  13. ↑ William Bayne Fisher. The Cambridge history of Iran. Cambridge University Press, 1986. ISBN 0521200946, 9780521200943
  14. ↑ Resisting Rebellion: The History and Politics of Counterinsurgency By Anthony James Joes
  15. ↑ "More arrests after Herat killing". London: BBC News. 2004-03-25. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3567277.stm. 
  16. ↑ Motlagh, Jason. "Iran's Spending Spree in Afghanistan." TIME. Wednesday May 20, 2009. Retrieved on May 24, 2009.
  17. ↑ UNDSS Provincial Profile, Afghanistan's "Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and development (MRRD)", 2009
  18. ↑ Population Map, National Geographic, 2003
  19. ↑ Opening up Afghan trade route to Iran. Railway Gazette International 2008-01-29
  20. ↑ Bendeich, Mark (June 25, 2007). "Cars, Not War, Threaten Afghan Minarets". Islam Online. http://ww1.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1182697507391&pagename=Zone-English-ArtCulture%2FACELayout. Retrieved 2009-09-24. 
  21. ↑ Podelco, Grant (July 18, 2005). "Afghanistan: Race To Preserve Historic Minarets of Herat, Jam". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1059997.html. Retrieved 2009-09-24. 

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (Eleventh ed.). Cambridge University Press. 

External links

Twelve largest cities in Afghanistan by population
Kabul · Kandahar · Herat · Mazar-i-Sharif · Kunduz · Taloqan · Jalalabad · Ghazni · Charikar · Sar-e Pol · Puli Khumri · Sheberghan
Flag of Afghanistan.svg Herat Province
Capital
Herat
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Districts
Adraskan · Chishti Sharif · Farsi · Ghoryan · Gulran · Guzara · Hirat · Injil · Karukh · Kohsan · Kushk · Kushki Kuhna · Obe · Pashtun Zarghun · Shindand · Zinda Jan
Cities
Adraskan · Azizabad · Baluchi · Bazargan · Chisht · Chishti Sharif · Farsi · Ghurian · Gulran · Guzara · Herat · Injil · Islam Qala · Karukh · Kohsan · Kushk · Kushki Kuhna · Obe · Pashtun Zarghun · Sabzawar · Shindand · Towraghondi · Zendeh Jan ·
Landmarks
Herat citadel · Khwaja 'Abd Allah Ansari shrine · Friday Mosque of Herat · Tomb of Queen Goharshad · Herat City Old Fort