Ghazi Stadium
Kabul’s main stadium hosts football matches most Friday afternoons. In the winter months and at Nauroz there are occasional buzkashi matches.
Ahmed Shah Durrani Mausoleum
The mausoleum of the founder of modern-day Afghanistan, Ahmed Shah Durrani, is at the rear of the Mosque of the Sacred Cloak. The octagonal shaped, richly decorated mausoleum is somewhat overshadowed by the mosque.
Pai Hesar castle
The medieval skyline of Herat is crowned by this mud-walled fortress complete with towering walls and squat turrents. Built for Alexander the Great, it has recently found use as a museum and has long been popular with tourists visiting Herat.
Band
The five lakes of Band-e-Amir (Dam of the King) are hidden in the Koh-e-Baba at an altitude of 2900m (9512ft). The deep-blue waters glitter like jewels, in stark contrast to the dusty mountains. The most accessible of the lakes is Band-e-Haibat - the suitably named Dam of Awe. The
Kawkab Garden
Between Seraj-ul Emorat and the Kabul river is the peaceful KawkabGarden , planted with roses. A new garden, Bagh-e Abdul Haq , is also being laid out here to commemorate the mujaheddin leader Abdul Haq who was killed by the Taliban in 2001. It sits by the Pul-Behsud bridge which l
Mosque of the Hair of the Prophet
Although a little harder to find than the cloak, make sure you make the trip to Mosque of the Hair of the Prophet near Chowk-e Charso in the Old City to see where this unique Islamic relic lies. The hair from the Prophet’s beard is encased by a golden sheath in a casket. Like the c
Royal Palace Of Darulaman
The old Royal Palace Of Darulaman sits opposite the Kabul Museum. Built by Amanullah in the 1920s, in grand European style, the palace is now little more than an empty shell. Dont explore the palace too closely as there are still unexploded ordnances (UXOs) in the area. Between the
Panjshir Valley
The lush green of the Panjshir Valley is the spiritual home of the Northern Alliance. The valley stretches for 100km (62mi) to the Anjoman Pass and offers great potential for trekking. Ahmad Shah Massoud, the formidable mujaheddin leader, is buried here in a small green-domed mauso
Zarnegar Khana
The Zarnegar Khana was built during Sultan Baiqaras time, it is a retreat for the shrines Sufi adherents, who hold their zikr rituals inside. The interior has a fine domed ceiling, painted in blue and red, and picked out in gold leaf. The Zarnegar Khana was closed for restoration a
Seraj
The Seraj-ul Emorat Gardens are named for the palace of King Habibullah (‘Building of Light’), built in the confines of the garden in 1910. The palace was reduced to a shell during the 1929 tribal uprising but the gardens remain a pleasant place for a walk. There are plenty of oran
Mausoleum of Abdur Rahman Khan
The tomb of the Iron Amir sits in Zarnegar Park. Originally a palace, the building has a bulbous red dome atop a whitewashed drum, and fussy decorative minarets. The park is surrounded by market traders but can be a good place to escape from the nearby bustle and traffic. The mauso
Pul
This fine old 22-arched bridge is a few kilometres south of the city, visible from the road when driving from the airport. Believed to have been constructed by the Seljuks in the early 12th century, it has survived the floods that have washed away countless other bridges on the Har
Eid Gah Mosque
One of the largest mosques in Afghanistan, Kandahars Eid Gah Mosque stands at nearly 25m adjacent to the dilapidated Kandahar University. The mosque and the surrounding grounds can accommodate thousands of worshippers with its construction having taken years at a cost of millions -
Mausoleum of Timur Shah
Timur Shah was the first to make Kabul the capital of a unified kingdom. He died in 1793, but it was another 23 years before his mausoleum was built, possibly due to the chaos after his death, caused by his leaving over 20 sons and no nominated successor. The building is a copy of
National Gallery
The National Gallery contains a mix of historic pictures and paintings by modern Afghan artists. Like Kabul’s other cultural institutions, it didn’t escape the Taliban’s zealous attentions, as the cabinet displaying ripped up watercolour portraits attests. Amazingly, however, the g
Baba Wali Shrine
Sitting on the banks of the Arghandab River is the Baba Wali Shrine , also known as Baba Sahib by Kandaharis. Gul Agha Sherzai, the twice-former Governor of Kandahar, fierce warlord and former mujahideen commander constructed the shrine at a cost of millions of dollars to honour on
The Forty Steps
One kilometre west of Dand Chowk nestled in a rocky outcrop above the city are The Forty Steps, which are visible from most of Shah-e-Nau. The steps will take you to a small enclave in the mountain guarded by two stone lions. The statues were carved by Babur, founder of the Mughal
Bibi Mahru Hill
Also called Teppe Bemaru, the low Bibi Mahru Hill overlooks Wazir Akbar Khan. Its popular with some expats living in the district for walking, and has reasonable views. At the top theres an Olympic-size swimming pool built by the Russians thats barely been full since it was built d
Mosque of the Sacred Cloak
A cloak worn by the Prophet Mohammed is housed in the Mosque of the Sacred Cloak , by far the city’s most valued treasure. The mosque is situated opposite the governor’s palace. Ahmed Shah Durrani acquired the cloak along with a hair of the beard of the Prophet from the Amir of Buk
Shahzada Abdullah
Two shrines sit on the main road just south of the Musalla Complex. Built in the late 15th century, they contain the tombs of two princes, Abdullah and Qasim, who died in the 8th century. Abdullahs tomb is the one nearer the road. The exteriors are plain fired brick with ogee porta
