Sabzwār ( fa, سبزوار) is a town and the center of the Sabzwar District, Herat Province, Afghanistan. It is located at at 1,066 m altitude on the Harut River. The Sabzwar Air Base is located about 15 miles northeast of the town. Shindand is at the northern end of

Zirko Valley Zerkoh Valley (alternately ''Zirko'', ''Zer-e-koh'') runs for 30 miles through Shindand District, Herat Province, Afghanistan. Civilian deaths in Coalition airstrikes On 29 April 2007, a number of Afghan civilians in Zerkoh were killed in airstr ...

, which is one of main centers of poppy production in western Afghanistan. The town is located south of

Adriskan Adraskan is a district in the central part of Herat Province in Afghanistan. It is bordered to the west by Iran, to the north by Ghoryan District, Zinda Jan District, Guzara District, Pashtun Zarghun District and Obe District, to the east by Far ...

, where a large police training facility exists. The population is mixed, includes Tajiks and others, though Pashtuns make up the majority. The main languages spoken in the area are Dari Persian. During the Soviet–Afghan War (1979–1989) the

5th Guards Motor Rifle Division The 5th Guards ''Zimovnikovskaya'' order Kutuzov II degree Motor Rifle Division, (Military Unit Number (V/Ch) 51852 from 1979) named on the 60th anniversary of the USSR, was a military formation of the Soviet Ground Forces. It was formed from the ...

was headquartered in the town.

Etymology

The name ''Shindand'' means "green pond" in Pashto. The city was previously known as Sabzawar and Asfezar.

History

Shindand was once a city of considerable size, and still possesses a fortress with sides of about 200 metres. In the 19th century the city was said to have a diverse population composed of

Ghilzais The Ghiljī ( ps, غلجي, ; fa, خیلجی, Xelji) also spelled Khilji, Khalji, or Ghilzai or Ghilzay (), are one of the largest Pashtun tribes. Their traditional homeland is Ghazni and Qalati Ghilji in Afghanistan but they have also settle ...

, Durranis ( Alakozais, Popalzais, Barakzais), Tajiks, Zuris, Timuris, Jews, and Hindus. By the early 20th century this fortress had been abandoned, and the town, at the centre of a group of villages, was fairly prosperous, with a bazaar of about 800 shops. The plains about Shindand were highly cultivated by the Nurzai Duranis, each village protected by its own little mud fort.

Climate

With an influence from the local steppe climate, Shindand features a cold semi-arid climate (''BSk'') under the Köppen climate classification. The average temperature in Shindand is 16.5 °C, while the annual precipitation averages 168 mm. July is the hottest month of the year with an average temperature of 29.4 °C. The coldest month January has an average temperature of 4.1 °C.

Shindand Air Base

The Shindand Air Base is located about 15 miles to the northeast of the town, which currently occupied by Afghan and NATO's International Security Assistance Force. It is a former Soviet airfield, repaired by U.S. forces. The area is flat and arid, with foothills to the north and west. The Kandahar–Herat Highway, which is part of Afghanistan's

Highway 1 The following highways are numbered 1. For roads numbered A1, see list of A1 roads. For roads numbered B1, see list of B1 roads. For roads numbered M1, see List of M1 roads. For roads numbered N1, see list of N1 roads. For roads numbered ...

, passes next to the Shindand Air Base. A free medical clinic supported by the

Afghan National Army Afghan may refer to: *Something of or related to Afghanistan, a country in Southern-Central Asia * Afghans, people or citizens of Afghanistan, typically of any ethnicity **Afghan (ethnonym), the historic term applied strictly to people of the Pas ...

(ANA) provides free medical care for the population of the town.

Notable people

* Herat Province * Amanullah Khan * Ismail Khan

References

External links

Photo of Shindand market vendor
Robert Lankenau, 2005-03-26 {{Authority control Populated places in Herat Province