| Zadian Minaret | |
|---|---|
 Zadian Minaret in 1976 | |
| Type | Minaret |
| Location | Zadian, Dawlatabad District, Balkh Province, Afghanistan |
| Coordinates | 37°1′29″N66°56′37″E / 37.02472°N 66.94361°E |
| Height | 25-metre (82 ft) |
| Built | 12th century |
  Location of Zadian Minaret in Afghanistan | |
The Zadian Minaret is a minaret in Zadian, Balkh Province in north Afghanistan. It is located in the remote region of the Dawlatabat District, in northwestern Balkh Province.
The word 'minaret' is Arabic (منارة) and usually refers to a tower next to a mosque from which the muezzin calls the faithful to prayer. However, it can also mean lighthouse.
The minaret is nameless, so it is named after the village Zadian.
The minaret was built by the Seljuk dynasty, during the 12th century.[ citation needed ] According to the Archaeological Gazetteer of Afghanistan, the minaret was built in 1108-09. [1] However, some archaeological studies suggest that the date of the construction of the minaret is approximately around the year 760. [2]
In the 12th century, the region was missed by Genghis Khan and the invading Mongols. [3]
Archaeology has taken place in the district, including works by the French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan (DAFA). [1] [4]
As the minaret is climbable, local citizens have scaled the tower and some have fallen to their deaths in attempts. [1]
The 25-meter high minaret was built in the 12th century and is made of sun-baked clay and plaster bricks. It is 18 meters in diameter. The structure has 64 stairs in it and there are carved calligraphic phrases in Kufic script. [5] [6]
Afghan pilgrims have visited the minaret due to the adjacent shrine a hundred feet away. The shrine of Hazrat Saleh is located by the minaret. The shrine is associated with the Islamic prophet Saleh. The site is also associated with the Arabian site, Mada'in Saleh, Saudi Arabia. The green-draped tomb of Saleh inside the shrine is facing east, while Islamic graves are arranged so that it faces Mecca, which is west of Afghanistan, suggesting pre-Islamic origins of the site. On the outside, there is an arched niche where pilgrims have left pieces of mud in the hope of a cure for skin ailments. [1]
Herāt is an oasis city and the third-largest city in Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains in the fertile valley of the Hari River in the western part of the country. An ancient civilization on the Silk Road between West Asia, Central Asia, and South Asia, it serves as a regional hub in the country's west.
Mazar-i-Sharīf, also known as Mazar-e Sharīf or simply Mazar, is the third-largest city in Afghanistan by population, with an estimated 500,207 residents in 2021. It is the capital of Balkh province and is linked by highways with Kunduz in the east, Kabul in the southeast, Herat in the southwest and Termez, Uzbekistan in the north. It is about 55 km (34 mi) from the Uzbek border. The city is also a tourist attraction because of its famous shrines as well as the Islamic and Hellenistic archeological sites. The ancient city of Balkh is also nearby.
Balkh is a town in the Balkh Province of Afghanistan. It is located approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) to the northwest of the provincial capital city Mazar-i-Sharif and approximately 74 kilometres (46 mi) to the south of the Amu Darya and the Afghanistan–Uzbekistan border. In 2021–2022, the National Statistics and Information Authority reported that the town had 138,594 residents. Listed as the eighth largest settlement in the country, unofficial 2024 estimates set its population at around 114,883 people.
Balkh is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the north of the country. It is divided into 15 districts and has a population of about 1,509,183, which is multi-ethnic and mostly a Persian-speaking society. The city of Mazar-i-Sharif is the capital and largest city of the province. The Mawlana Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi International Airport and Camp Marmal sit on the eastern edge of Mazar-i-Sharif.
Atta Muhammad Nur is an Afghan exiled politician and former Mujahid Leader who served as the Governor of Balkh Province in Afghanistan from 2004 to January 25, 2018. An ethnic Tajik, he worked to educate the Mujahideen after the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, gaining the nickname "The Teacher". He then became a mujahideen resistance commander for the Jamiat-e Islami against the Soviets.
Sheberghān or Shaburghān or shāhpurgān, also spelled Shebirghan and Shibarghan, is the capital city of the Jowzjan Province in northern Afghanistan.
A mazār, also transliterated as mazaar, also known as marqad (مَرْقَد) or in the Maghreb as ḍarīḥ (ضَرِيْح), is a mausoleum or shrine in some places of the world, typically that of a saint or notable religious leader. Medieval Arabic texts may also use the words mašhad (مَشْهَد) or maqām to denote the same concept.
Dawlatabad District is a landlocked district, located in the northwestern part of Balkh province, in northern Afghanistan. The population is 101,900 people. The capital is the village of Dowlatabad at 298 m height above sea level.
Mazar-e-Sharif International Airport, officially called Mawlana Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi International Airport, is located about 9 km (5.6 mi) east of Mazar-i-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, which is around 15 minutes of driving distance from the center of the city.
The fall of Mazar-i-Sharif in November 2001 resulted from the first major offensive of the Afghanistan War after American intervention. A push into the city of Mazar-i-Sharif in Balkh Province by the United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan, combined with U.S. Army Special Forces aerial bombardment, resulted in the withdrawal of Taliban forces who had held the city since 1998. After the fall of outlying villages, and an intensive bombardment, the Taliban and al-Qaeda forces withdrew from the city. Several hundred pro-Taliban fighters were killed. Approximately 500 were captured, and approximately 1,000 reportedly defected. The capture of Mazar-i-Sharif was the first major defeat for the Taliban.
The Mausoleum of Ali or Blue Mosque, located in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, is a shrine purportedly housing the tomb of Caliph Ali, the first Imam of Shia Muslims.
Cheshmeh-ye Shafa or Cheshm-e-Shafa is a village in Balkh Province in northern Afghanistan.
Zadian is a village in Dawlatabad District, Balkh Province in northern Afghanistan.
The Green Mosque, or the Mosque of Khawaja Abu Nasr Parsa is a mosque in the city of Balkh, northern Afghanistan. It contains the Shrine of Khwaja Abu Nasr Parsa. The mosque's name is derived from the kashi tiles on the walls of the mosque, which are coloured turquoise, known locally as Turkish Green.
Kholm or Khulm, formerly known as Tashqurghan, is a town in Samangan Province of northern Afghanistan, 60 km east of Mazar-i-Sharif one-third of the way to Kunduz. Kholm is an ancient town located on the fertile, inland delta fan of the Khulm River. As such, it is an agriculturally rich locale and densely populated. It is famous for its covered market, and is a centre for trading in sheep and wood.
Tourism in Afghanistan is regulated by the Ministry of Information and Culture. There are at least 350 tourism companies operating in Afghanistan. Tourism was at its peak before the 1978 Saur Revolution, which was followed by the decades of warfare. Between 2013 and 2016, Afghan embassies issued between 15,000 and 20,000 tourist visas annually. Following Taliban's return to power in August 2021, visitor numbers gradually increased from 691 in 2021 to 2,300 in 2022, reaching 7,000 in 2023.
Afghan art has spanned many centuries. In contrast to its independence and isolation in recent centuries, ancient and medieval Afghanistan spent long periods as part of large empires, which mostly also included parts of modern Pakistan and north India, as well as Iran. Afghan cities were often sometimes among the capitals or main cities of these, as with the Kushan Empire, and later the Mughal Empire. In addition some routes of the Silk Road to and from China pass through Afghanistan, bringing influences from both the east and west.
Mullah Noorullah Noori is a militant and Minister of Borders and Tribal Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan since 7 September 2021. He was also the Taliban's Governor of Balkh Province during their first rule (1996–2001). Noori spent more than 12 years in the United States's Guantanamo Bay detention camps, in Cuba. Noori was released from the detention camp on May 31, 2014, in a prisoner exchange that involved Bowe Bergdahl and the Taliban Five, and flown to Qatar.
The French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan was created in France in 1922 at the request of the Afghan government and King Amanullah Khan to commence archaeological studies in Afghanistan. After a break in research during the Second World War, work resumed around 1946-47, until it was closed by the pro-Soviet Afghan government on December 15, 1982. Some notable 20th century French archaeologists who were part of the delegation include Jules Barthoux, Daniel Schlumberger, and Paul Bernard.
| Districts |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Landforms | ||
| Landmarks and culture | ||