Hajigak Pass

The Kotal e Hajigag Sanskrit (Persian: کوتل حاجيگگ‎ ^[1] Kotal Aajah gag or Persian: کوتل آجه گگ‎^[2] Persian: کوتل حاجيگک‎, hajji gak "little pilgrim") is a pass in Afghanistan. It is situated Bamiyan Province in central Afghanistan along the Koh-i Baba range and is one of the two main routes from Kabul to Northern Afghannistan and to Buddhist monasteries and statues in Bamiyan and to Stupas of the Takht e Rostam near the mountain Koh e Haj e Kushtah in Samangan and Takht e Rostam and Tapa e Rostam^[3] in Balkh and Nava Vihara (Nau Bahar),^[4] the ancient Silk Road.

The two main routes from Kabul to Bamiyan are from the south via the Hajigak Pass and from the north via the Shibar Pass. The journey via Shibar Pass is approximately 6 and half hours long covering around 237 km (147 mi) long. The Shibar pass is preferred over the Hajigak pass on safety grounds, because in the harsh climate of the area the Hajigak remain covered with snow during most of the year.

The Hajigak route leaves Kabul from Kote Sangi, about 1 km to the west of Kabul University, and follows the paved highway to Ghazni west and then south into Maidan Wardak province. There the route leaves the Ghanzi highway, turning right to head west through Maidan Shar, the capital of Maidan Wardak province, continue on through Jalrez, Sarchashman, Sia Sang, and Duz Qol, before crossing the Unai Pass to Gardan Diwal, where the route again turns to the right to head north, and finally start the climb to the Hajigak Pass proper.

There are numerous villages in this scarcely populated, rugged area. The greenness of the trees and the clearness of the air in the valleys greet tourists who travel to Bamiyan. In the fall and spring large camel caravans add their particular color and excitement to the scene.

The major wildlife is Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus) which are often seen squatting in large groups beside the road. These very large birds are also known as Bearded Vultures for they have very noticeable, rather comical goatees. Having a passion for bone marrow, they have been seen to carry animal bones to a height and carefully drop them onto rocks to crack them so that they can feast upon the marrow with greedy delight.

Etymology and a small excursion

The new Persian is written since the Middle Ages in the Arabic alphabet. [G] (Persian: گ‎) has been changed by letter [J] (Persian: ج‎) or [Gh] (Persian: غ‎)and [P](Persian: پ‎) by [F] (Persian: ف‎) or [B] (Persian: ب‎). [Papa](Persian: پاپا‎) to [Baba] (Persian: بابا‎) and [Parsi](Persian: پارسى‎) to [Farsi] (Persian: فارسى‎)and Apagan(Persian: اپگان‎) to Afghan (Persian: افغان‎).

Haj (Persian: حاج‎) is a Persian word Homophone, although it was Arabized and comes from the middle Persian word Hag (Persian: هاگ‎), but Hajj a Semitic word which also comes in Hebrew and mean Intention or attempt a journey for example to a pilgrimage. Hag or Haj has different meanings in Persian even contradictory Hajji (pilgrim) and a Haji like Hajji Firuz a Satitiker or a Comedian. There are typically two basic notation or word basic form, which has been mixed in time. Haj as word basic form (non-human) and Haji (human, pilgrims) from Hajj or Hagg.

Haj mean also the name of a thorny plant.^[5][6] This is nothing other than Alhagi.^{[7][8][9][10][11]} Haji Koshtah (Haj i kushtah) (now as Ahag i Shugofteh or Ahak i Shugofteh) or same words Haj and not Haji (Name of a thorny plant) Haji Tarkhan (Astrakhan), Haji lak Lak (Haj i lak lak a stork), or Haj i Badam (bitter almond) (Kurdish:Hacıbadem), (Turkish: acibadem) or Hajj^[12] (traditionally called slaked lime) means Calcium hydroxide or Iron or gold ore.

See also

• Unai Pass
• Shibar Pass
• Kotal e Salang

Books

• John Richardson: Steingass, Francis Joseph, ed. (1892).A Comprehensive Persian-English Dictionary: Including the Arabic Words and Phrases to be Met with in Persian Literature, being Johnson and Richardson's Persian, Arabic, and English Dictionary Revised, Enlarged. London: Crosby Lockwood & Son (Low). [OCLC: 43797675]
• Noureddeen Mohammed Abdullah al-Shirazi (1st ed. 1793): Ulfáz Udwiyeh or the Materia Medica In the Arabic, Persian, and Hindevy Languages, Cambridge University Press, 2013 ISBN 978-1-108-05609-0
• William Kirkpatrick: A vocabulary Persian Arabic and English, containing such words [...], London, 1785 p .191
• Francis Joseph Steingass: (first ed. London 1884), A Comprehensive Persian English Dictionary, Published by Gautam Jetley, 3st ed. New Delhi, 2005, ISBN 81-206-0670-1

External links

• Kotal Hajigak

References