Taloqan

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Taloqan
تالقان
Provincial capital
Gouverneurssitz Taloqan.JPG
Takhar governor's office in Taloqan
Afghanistan adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Taloqan
Location in Afghanistan
Coordinates: 36°43′N69°31′E / 36.717°N 69.517°E / 36.717; 69.517
CountryFlag of the Taliban.svg Afghanistan
Province Takhar
District Taloqan
Government
 • Type Municipality
Area
[1]
 • Land107 km2 (41 sq mi)
Elevation
[2]
876 m (2,874 ft)
Population
 (2025) [3]
284,990
 •  Urban
94,438
 •  Rural
190,552
Time zone UTC+04:30 (Afghanistan Time)
ISO 3166 code AF-TQN

Taloqan, [a] also written as Taleqan or Taluqan, [4] is a city in northern Afghanistan, serving as the capital of Takhar Province. [5] [6] It is within the jurisdiction of Taloqan District and has an estimated population of 284,990 people. [3] Ethnically, they are Tajiks, Uzbeks, Pashtuns and Hazaras.

Contents

Taloqan is home to Takhar University, which is in the northwestern part of the city. The Taloqan Airport is a few miles to the north. The city has a number of bazaars, business centers, public parks, banks, hotels, restaurants, mosques, hospitals, universities, and places to play sports or relax.

Taloqan sits at an altitude of 876 m (2,874 ft) above sea level, [2] and has a land area of 107 km2 (41 sq mi) with 28,691 dwelling units in it. [1] The city is administratively divided into 6 city districts (nahias). [2] There is a major road that passes through the city, linking it with nearby Kunduz in the west and Fayzabad in Badakhshan Province in the northeast.

History

A coin minted in Taloqan under Muhammad II of Khwarezm (1200-1220). Khwarezmshahs jital 1200-1220 Taliqan.jpg
A coin minted in Taloqan under Muhammad II of Khwarezm (1200–1220).

The old city to the west on the riverside was described by Marco Polo in 1275 CE as:

"a castle called Taikhan, where there is a great corn-market, and the country round is fine and fruitful. The hills that lie to the south of it are large and lofty. They all consist of white salt, extremely hard, with which the people for a distance of thirty days' journey round, come to provide themselves, for it is esteemed the purest that is found in the world. It is so hard, that it can be broken only with great iron hammers. The quantity is so great that all the countries of the earth might be supplied from thence." [7]

Taloqan had earlier come under Mongol control during the campaigns of Genghis Khan in the early 13th century. Following the fall of Balkh and the destruction of other Khwarazmian cities, the Mongols besieged and captured Taloqan, reportedly massacring its inhabitants as part of their broader campaign to subdue Khwarazmian resistance.[ citation needed ]

In 1603, Taloqan ("Talhan") was visited by another European explorer, Bento de Góis, who was traveling with a caravan from Kabul to Yarkand (then the capital of Kashgaria). [8]

Recent history

The mujahideen headquarters of Ahmad Shah Massoud were located in Taloqan during his campaign against the Soviet Army and the Taliban. On 5 September 2000, Taloqan became the last major city to fall to the Taliban, [9] after a siege which claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians. [10] The capture of the city by the Taliban also triggered a mass exodus in the population, with civilians fleeing towards Imam Sahib and the Panjshir Valley. Northern Alliance soldiers managed to stop the Taliban advance to the north and to the east of the city, but were not able to retake it. Taloqan was liberated in November 2001 by forces of the Northern Alliance following the United States invasion of Afghanistan.

The city was attacked during the 2021 Taliban offensive (which coincided with the withdrawal of United States troops). On May 2, 2021, Piram Qul, a close aide to Abdul Rashid Dostum and one of the most influential anti-Taliban figures in Takhar, was killed in Rustaq District. [11] [12]

Following the fall of several districts of Takhar to the Taliban, [13] on June 20, 2021, a group of Takhar elders including Mohibullah Noori and Ashraf Ani announced at a press conference in Kabul that they will send a group to mobilize people resistant in support of Afghan security forces in Takhar. Mohibullah Noori led the group, which entered Taloqan on 26 June 2021 and united the Takhar commanders to resist against the Taliban.

The Taliban tried to take the city in July 2021, however the attack was repulsed. [14] Later, during Taliban offensive Haji Agha Gol Qatghani was killed and Khair Mohammad Teymour injured and all forces, including provincial officials, retreated to the Versaj district. Taloqan was captured by the Taliban on 8 August 2021. [15]

Climate

Taloqan has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa). In winter there is more rainfall than in summer. The average annual temperature in Taloqan is 14.6 °C (58.3 °F). About 475 mm (18.70 in) of precipitation falls annually.

Climate data for Taloqan
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)7.2
(45.0)		9.1
(48.4)		15.4
(59.7)		20.5
(68.9)		26.0
(78.8)		31.6
(88.9)		34.1
(93.4)		32.7
(90.9)		28.1
(82.6)		21.4
(70.5)		13.8
(56.8)		9.1
(48.4)		20.8
(69.4)
Daily mean °C (°F)1.0
(33.8)		2.9
(37.2)		9.1
(48.4)		14.6
(58.3)		20.1
(68.2)		25.4
(77.7)		28.0
(82.4)		26.5
(79.7)		21.8
(71.2)		15.2
(59.4)		7.9
(46.2)		2.6
(36.7)		14.6
(58.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)−4.6
(23.7)		−3.2
(26.2)		2.5
(36.5)		7.6
(45.7)		12.3
(54.1)		16.5
(61.7)		19.5
(67.1)		18.5
(65.3)		14.3
(57.7)		8.6
(47.5)		2.4
(36.3)		−2.8
(27.0)		7.6
(45.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches)53
(2.1)		68
(2.7)		90
(3.5)		96
(3.8)		60
(2.4)		7
(0.3)		1
(0.0)		0
(0)		2
(0.1)		17
(0.7)		40
(1.6)		41
(1.6)		475
(18.8)
Source: [16]

Taloqan in Islamic sources

The testament of the Islamic prophet Muhammad indicates that the city will play a major role regarding the Mahdi. A narration by chain, Imam Baqir states: "Allah Almighty has a treasure in Talaqan which is of neither gold nor silver, but consists of twelve thousand (people), having 'Ahmad, Ahmad' for their slogan. They will be led by a young Hashemite man riding a gray mule and wearing a red headband. It is as if I can see him crossing the Euphrates. Should you hear of his coming, rush to him even if you have to crawl over the snow [17] Another narration states: "Talaqan is a place of treasures of Allah. These treasures are not of gold and silver, but consist of people who have recognised Allah as they should have." [18]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑

References

  1. 1 2 "State of Afghan Cities report 2015 (Volume-I English)". UN-Habitat. pp. 8, 132. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "State of Afghan Cities report 2015 (Volume-II)". UN-Habitat. p. 126. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2025-26" (PDF). National Statistics and Information Authority. September 2025. p. 67. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  4. ↑ "Gas poisoning kills three in Takhar". Ariana News. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  5. ↑ "Investments in High-Rise Construction in Taloqan Increase". TOLOnews. 22 February 2025. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  6. ↑ "AWCC opens another customer services center in Takhar". Ariana News. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  7. ↑ Dupree, Nancy Hatch (1977) [1st Edition: 1970]. An Historical Guide to Afghanistan (2nd Edition, Revised and Enlarged ed.). Afghan Tourist Organization.
  8. ↑ "The Journey of Benedict Goës from Agra to Cathay" - Henry Yule's translation of the relevant chapters of De Christiana expeditione apud Sinas , with detailed notes and an introduction. In: Yule, Sir Henry (1866). Cathay and the way thither: being a collection of medieval notices of China. Issue 37 of Works issued by the Hakluyt Society. Printed for the Hakluyt society. pp. 558–559. Archived from the original on 6 July 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  9. ↑ "U.S. Department of State Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2001 - Afghanistan". United States Department of State. 4 March 2002. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  10. ↑ Filipov, David (6 October 2002). "Amid the ruins of war, Afghans tread warily". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 5 August 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2007.
  11. ↑ "Former Afghan parliamentarian killed in landmine blast". Anadolu Agency. 2 May 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  12. ↑ "The collapse of the anti-Taliban resistance obstacle beyond Kokcha; Who was PiramQul Ziayi and how was he killed?". 8am.af. 4 May 2021. Archived from the original on 9 November 2021.
  13. ↑ "Taliban overrun 4 districts of Takhar, say sources". Pajhwok Afghan News. 20 June 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  14. ↑ "Afghan forces repel Taliban assault on provincial capital, governor says". Reuters. 11 July 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  15. ↑ "Most areas of Taloqan fall to Taliban: Sources". Pajhwok Afghan News. 8 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  16. ↑ "Climate: Taloqan". Climate-Data.org. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  17. ↑ "Al Mahdi". Archived from the original on 30 March 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  18. ↑ Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, al-Burhan fee Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 59)
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