Arg (Kabul)
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The Arg ( ps, ارګ; ; ) is the presidential palace of
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...
, located in
Kabul Kabul (; ps, , ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. Located in the eastern half of the country, it is also a municipality, forming part of the Kabul Province; it is administratively divided into #Districts, 22 municipal dist ...
. Since the 2021 abolition of the Afghan presidency by the
Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...
, it has served as the meeting place of the Cabinet of Afghanistan. The palace sits on a site in
District 2 District 2 may refer to: Places by country * II District, Turku, in Finland * District 2, Düsseldorf, Germany *District 2, Grand Bassa County, a district in Liberia *District 2, an electoral district of Malta *District 2, a police district of Ma ...
, between Deh Afghanan and the affluent neighbourhood of
Wazir Akbar Khan Wazīr Akbar Khān (Pashto/Dari: ; 1816-1847), born Mohammad Akbar Khān () and also known as Amīr Akbar Khān (), was an Afghan prince, general, emir for a year, and finally wazir/heir apparent to Dost Mohammad Khan until his death in 1847. ...
; it has historically been used by many Afghan heads of state, from
Abdur Rahman Khan Abdur Rahman Khan GCSI (Pashto/ Dari: ) (between 1840 and 1844 – 1 October 1901) was Emir of Afghanistan from 1880 to his death in 1901. He is known for uniting the country after years of internal fighting and negotiation of the Durand Lin ...
(who laid its foundation) to
Ashraf Ghani Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai (born 19 May 1949) is an Afghan politician, academic, and economist who served as the president of Afghanistan from September 2014 until August 2021, when his government was overthrown by the Taliban. Born in ...
. It was built after the destruction of the Bala Hissar in 1880.


History

The foundation of the Arg was laid by
Emir Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cer ...
Abdur Rahman Khan Abdur Rahman Khan GCSI (Pashto/ Dari: ) (between 1840 and 1844 – 1 October 1901) was Emir of Afghanistan from 1880 to his death in 1901. He is known for uniting the country after years of internal fighting and negotiation of the Durand Lin ...
in 1880 after assuming the throne. It was designed as a castle with a water-filled trench around it. Abdur Rahman Khan named it ''Arg-e-Shahi'' (Citadel of the King) and included, among other buildings, a residence for his family, an army barracks, and the national treasury. Previously, the Bala Hissar served as the citadel or the headquarters of the emirs until it was destroyed by the
Frontier Force Regiment The Frontier Force Regiment is one of the six infantry regiments of the Pakistan Army. They are popularly known as the ''Piffers'' in reference to their military history as the PIF (Punjab Irregular Force) of the British Indian Army, or as the ...
during the
Second Anglo-Afghan war The Second Anglo-Afghan War (Dari: جنگ دوم افغان و انگلیس, ps, د افغان-انګرېز دويمه جګړه) was a military conflict fought between the British Raj and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1878 to 1880, when the l ...
(1878–80). The Arg has served as the royal and presidential palace for all of the kings and
presidents President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
of Afghanistan.
Hafizullah Amin Hafizullah Amin (Pashto/ prs, حفيظ الله امين; 1 August 192927 December 1979) was an Afghan communist revolutionary, politician and teacher. He organized the Saur Revolution of 1978 and co-founded the Democratic Republic of Afghan ...
also used
Tajbeg Palace Tajbeg Palace ( ps, د تاج بېګ ماڼۍ; fa, قصر تاج بيگ; ''Palace of the Large Crown''), also inaccurately called the Queen's Palace, is one of the palaces in the popular Darulaman area of Kabul, Afghanistan. The stately mansion i ...
as the residence for his family. It has undergone modifications and revitalization under the different rulers. During the 1978
Saur Revolution The Saur Revolution or Sowr Revolution ( ps, د ثور انقلاب; prs, إنقلاب ثور), also known as the April Revolution or the April Coup, was staged on 27–28 April 1978 (, ) by the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) ...
,
General A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". O ...
Mohammed Daoud Khan Mohammed Daoud Khan ( ps, ), also romanized as Daud Khan or Dawood Khan (18 July 1909 – 28 April 1978), was an Afghan politician and general who served as prime minister of Afghanistan from 1953 to 1963 and, as leader of the 1973 Afghan cou ...
and his family were assassinated by members of the
People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan The People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), ''Hezb-e dimūkrātĩk-e khalq-e Afghānistān'' was a Marxist–Leninist political party in Afghanistan established on 1 January 1965. Four members of the party won seats in the 1965 Afgh ...
(PDPA) inside the Arg. On 15 August 2021, following the
2021 Taliban offensive A military offensive by the Taliban insurgent group and other allied militants led to the fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan based in Kabul and marked the end of the nearly 20-year-old War in Afghanistan, that had begun following the ...
and the near seizure of the capital, the Taliban occupied the Arg after president
Ashraf Ghani Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai (born 19 May 1949) is an Afghan politician, academic, and economist who served as the president of Afghanistan from September 2014 until August 2021, when his government was overthrown by the Taliban. Born in ...
fled the country purportedly for peace and to avoid bloodshed. The Taliban has since been using the Arg to hold meetings of the Cabinet of Afghanistan, except those chaired by the leader of the Islamic Emirate, which are held in
Kandahar Kandahar (; Kandahār, , Qandahār) is a city in Afghanistan, located in the south of the country on the Arghandab River, at an elevation of . It is Afghanistan's second largest city after Kabul, with a population of about 614,118. It is the c ...
.


Construction

The Arg (up to 15 August 2021) consisted of the following: * The ''Gul Khana'', which served as the offices for President
Ashraf Ghani Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai (born 19 May 1949) is an Afghan politician, academic, and economist who served as the president of Afghanistan from September 2014 until August 2021, when his government was overthrown by the Taliban. Born in ...
and the President's Protocol Office; * The Offices of the President's Chief of Staff; * The National Security Advisor's building; and the Offices of the Spokesperson to the President. * Offices for the
Afghan National Security Forces The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), also known as the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF), were the military and internal security forces of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Structure The Afghan National Security Fo ...
(ANSF). * Building for the Administrative Office of the President. * Various buildings for receiving delegations or hosting large meetings.


Gallery

File:210321-D-BN624-1041 (51061554791).jpg, United States Defense Secretary
Lloyd Austin Lloyd James Austin III (born August 8, 1953) is a retired United States Army four-star general who, since his appointment on January 22, 2021, has served as the 28th United States secretary of defense. He is the first African American to serv ...
at the palace on March 21, 2021 File:200229-D-AP390-1535 (49603220748).jpg, The front of the palace on February 29, 2020 File:200229-D-AP390-1555 (49603217428).jpg, NATO and Afghan officials in 2020 File:Secretary Kerry Meets With Afghan President Ghani (26300077406).jpg,
Afghan President The president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan was constitutionally the head of state and head of government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (2004–2021) and Commander-in-Chief of the Afghan Armed Forces. On 15 August 2021, as th ...
Ashraf Ghani Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai (born 19 May 1949) is an Afghan politician, academic, and economist who served as the president of Afghanistan from September 2014 until August 2021, when his government was overthrown by the Taliban. Born in ...
with
John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...
File:Presidential Palace - panoramio (8).jpg, Overview of the Arg palace and several other palaces and gardens within the complex File:Barack Obama and Hamid Karzai bilateral meeting in Kabul May 1, 2012.jpg, U.S. President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
and Afghan President
Hamid Karzai Hamid Karzai (; Pashto/ fa, حامد کرزی, , ; born 24 December 1957) is an Afghan statesman who served as the fourth president of Afghanistan from July 2002 to September 2014, including as the first elected president of the Islamic Repub ...
during the May 2012 US-Afghan strategic agreement signing File:Defense.gov photo essay 110604-D-XH843-035.jpg, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Karzai addressing international media in 2011 File:Defense.gov photo essay 100308-D-7203C-010.jpg, Karzai and Robert Gates in 2010 File:Arg, Kabul, 1965.jpg, The Arg entrance in 1965 File:Emir Adb or-Rahman's garden house, Kabul. Wellcome L0025012.jpg, The palace when first built in the 1890s, during the reign of
Amir Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cer ...
Abdur Rahman Khan Abdur Rahman Khan GCSI (Pashto/ Dari: ) (between 1840 and 1844 – 1 October 1901) was Emir of Afghanistan from 1880 to his death in 1901. He is known for uniting the country after years of internal fighting and negotiation of the Durand Lin ...


See also

Other palaces in Kabul: * Bagh-e Bala, a former royal palace in Kabul * Bala Hissar, an ancient fortress located in the south of the old city of Kabul * Darul Aman, former royal palace *
Herat Citadel The Citadel of Herat (Pashto: سکندرۍ کلا ; Dari: ارگ هرات) also known as the Citadel of Alexander, and locally known as Qala Iktyaruddin (Pashto ; Dari: قلعه اختیارالدین), is located in the center of Herat in Afghani ...
, former main royal palace *
Tajbeg Palace Tajbeg Palace ( ps, د تاج بېګ ماڼۍ; fa, قصر تاج بيگ; ''Palace of the Large Crown''), also inaccurately called the Queen's Palace, is one of the palaces in the popular Darulaman area of Kabul, Afghanistan. The stately mansion i ...
, former royal palace


References

{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Kabul Presidential residences Royal residences in Afghanistan Palaces in Afghanistan