Dari Dari (; endonym: ), Dari Persian (, , or , ), or Eastern Persian is the variety of the Persian language spoken in Afghanistan. Dari is the Afghan government's official term for the Persian language;Lazard, G.Darī – The New Persian ...

Pashto Pashto ( , ; , ) is an eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family, natively spoken in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan. It has official status in Afghanistan and the Pakistani province of Khyb ...

oasis In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environmentthird-largest city in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of

Herat Province Herat ( Dari: هرات) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the western part of the country. Together with Badghis, Farah, and Ghor provinces, it makes up the north-western region of Afghanistan. Its primary city a ...

, situated south of the

Paropamisus Mountains The Paropamisus Mountains
on www.ezilon.com (locally known as Selseleh-ye Safīd KūhHari River in the western part of the country. An ancient civilization on the

Silk Road The Silk Road was a network of Asian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over , it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between the ...

between

West Asia West Asia (also called Western Asia or Southwest Asia) is the westernmost region of Asia. As defined by most academics, UN bodies and other institutions, the subregion consists of Anatolia, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Mesopotamia, the Armenian ...

,

Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

, and

South Asia South Asia is the southern Subregion#Asia, subregion of Asia that is defined in both geographical and Ethnicity, ethnic-Culture, cultural terms. South Asia, with a population of 2.04 billion, contains a quarter (25%) of the world's populatio ...

, it serves as a

regional In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

hub in the country's west. Herat dates back to Avestan times and was traditionally known for its

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented fruit. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the fruit and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Wine is most often made f ...

. The city has a number of historic sites, including the

Herat Citadel The Arg-e Herat ( Dari Persian: ارگ هرات), or Citadel of Herat, is a fort located in the center of Herat in Afghanistan. It dates back to 330 BC, when Alexander the Great and his army arrived to Afghanistan after the Battle of Gaugamela. M ...

and the

Musalla Complex The Musalla complex ("Prayer complex", ), also known as the Musallah Complex or the Musalla of Gawhar Shah, is a former Islamic religious complex located in Herat, Afghanistan, containing examples of Timurid architecture. Much of the 15th-centu ...

. During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, Herat became one of the important cities of

Khorasan KhorasanDabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 (; , ) is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plateau in West and Central Asia that encompasses western and no ...

, as it was known as the ''Pearl of Khorasan''. After its conquest by

Tamerlane Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol tradition, Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timuri ...

, the city became an important center of intellectual and artistic life in the Islamic world. Under the rule of

Shah Rukh Shah Rukh or Shahrukh Mirza (, ''Šāhrokh''; 20 August 1377 – 13 March 1447) was the ruler of the Timurid Empire between 1405 and 1447. He was the son of the Central Asian conqueror Timur (Tamerlane), who founded the Timurid dynasty in 1370 ...

, the city served as the focal point of the

Timurid Renaissance The Timurid Renaissance was a historical period in Asian history, Asian and Islamic history spanning the late 14th, the 15th, and the early 16th centuries. Following the Islamic Golden Age, the Timurid Empire, based in Central Asia and ruled by ...

, whose glory is thought to have matched

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

of the

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( ) was a period in History of Italy, Italian history between the 14th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Western Europe and marked t ...

as the center of a cultural rebirth. After the fall of the

Timurid Empire The Timurid Empire was a late medieval, culturally Persianate, Turco-Mongol empire that dominated Greater Iran in the early 15th century, comprising modern-day Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, much of Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and parts of co ...

, Herat has been governed by various Afghan rulers since the early 18th century.Singh, Ganda (1959).
Ahmad Shah Durrani, father of modern Afghanistan
''. Asia Publishing House, Bombay. (PDF versio
66 MB
) In 1716, the Abdali Afghans inhabiting the city revolted and formed their own Sultanate, the

Sadozai Sultanate of Herat The Sadozai Sultanate of Herat () was a state in Herat, established in 1716 when Abdali Afghans, led by their chiefs Asad Allāh Khan and Zaman Khan, expelled Safavid forces from the region. They were conquered in 1732 by the Afsharids The ...

. They were conquered by the Afsharid Persia in 1732. After

Nader Shah Nader Shah Afshar (; 6 August 1698 or 22 October 1688 – 20 June 1747) was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian history, ruling as shah of Iran (Persia) from 1736 to 1747, when he was a ...

's death and

Ahmad Shah Durrani Ahmad Shāh Durrānī (; ; – 4 June 1772), also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī (), was the first ruler and founder of the Durrani Empire. He is often regarded as the founder of modern Afghanistan. Throughout his reign, Ahmad Shah fought ov ...

's rise to power in 1747, Herat separated from

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

became part of

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. It became an independent city-state in the first half of the 19th century, facing several Qajar

Iranian Iranian () may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Iran ** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran ** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia ** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...

invasions until being incorporated into

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

in 1863. Pashtunzadagan, Darwazekhosh, Ghorian, GhaderGij (QaderGij) and Gozargah are some of the neighborhoods of Herat within the city limits. The roads from Herat to Iran (through the border town of

Islam Qala Islām Qala (Pashto: اسلام کلا, Dari: اسلام قلعه) is a border town in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, near the Afghanistan–Iran border. It is the official port of entry by land from neighboring Taybad in Iran. Th ...

) and

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, east and northeast, Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest and the Caspian Sea to the west. Ash ...

(through the border town of

Torghundi Torghundi, also spelled Turghundi or Towrgondi (, ), is a border town in northern Herat Province of Afghanistan. The town's main attraction is the Torghundi custom house and border checkpoint, which officially connects Afghanistan by road wit ...

) are still strategically important. As the gateway to Iran, it collects high amount of customs revenue for Afghanistan. It also has an

international airport An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports, and feature longer runways and have faciliti ...

. Following the 2001 war, the city had been relatively safe from Taliban insurgent attacks. In 2021, it was announced that Herat would be listed as a

UNESCO World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

. On 12 August 2021, the city was seized by

Taliban , leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders , leader1_name = {{indented plainlist, * Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013) * Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016) * Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...

fighters as part of the Taliban's summer offensive. The area of

Herat Herāt (; Dari/Pashto: هرات) 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 (''Se ...

, along with areas like

Piranshahr Piranshahr (, Kurdish: ''Pîranşar'' or ''Khane'') is a city in the Central District of Piranshahr County, West Azerbaijan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Etymology According to the Arab geogr ...

,

Damghan Damghan () is a city in the Central District (Damghan County), Central District of Damghan County, Semnan province, Semnan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. It is east of Tehran on the high-road to Mash ...

and

Aleppo Aleppo is a city in Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Governorates of Syria, governorate of Syria. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and ...

, are noted to be sites for archaeological interests and exploration.

History

Ancient Herat is first recorded in ancient times, but its precise date of foundation is unknown. Under the Persian

Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Empire or Achaemenian Empire, also known as the Persian Empire or First Persian Empire (; , , ), was an Iranian peoples, Iranian empire founded by Cyrus the Great of the Achaemenid dynasty in 550 BC. Based in modern-day Iran, i ...

(550–330 BC), the surrounding district was known by the

Old Persian Old Persian is one of two directly attested Old Iranian languages (the other being Avestan) and is the ancestor of Middle Persian (the language of the Sasanian Empire). Like other Old Iranian languages, it was known to its native speakers as (I ...

name of ''Haraiva'' (𐏃𐎼𐎡𐎺), and in classical sources, the region was correspondingly known as Areia (

Aria In music, an aria (, ; : , ; ''arias'' in common usage; diminutive form: arietta, ; : ariette; in English simply air (music), air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrument (music), instrumental or orchestral accompan ...

). In the

Zoroastrian Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, Zoroaster ( ). Among the wo ...

collection of

Avesta The Avesta (, Book Pahlavi: (), Persian language, Persian: ()) is the text corpus of Zoroastrian literature, religious literature of Zoroastrianism. All its texts are composed in the Avestan language and written in the Avestan alphabet. Mod ...

, the district is referred as ''Haroiva''. The name of the district and its principal town is a derivative from that of the local river, the Herey River (from

Old Iranian The Iranian languages, also called the Iranic languages, are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family that are spoken natively by the Iranian peoples, predominantly in the Iranian Plateau. The Iranian language ...

''Harayu'', meaning "with velocity"), which goes through the district and ends south of Herat. Herey is mentioned in Sanskrit as a yellow or golden color equivalent to Persian "Zard" meaning Gold (yellow). The naming of a region and its principal town after the main river is a common feature in this part of the world— compare the adjoining districts/rivers/towns of

Arachosia Arachosia (; ), or Harauvatis ( ), was a satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire. Mainly centred around the Arghandab River, a tributary of the Helmand River, it extended as far east as the Indus River. The satrapy's Persian-language name is the et ...

and

Bactria Bactria (; Bactrian language, Bactrian: , ), or Bactriana, was an ancient Iranian peoples, Iranian civilization in Central Asia based in the area south of the Oxus River (modern Amu Darya) and north of the mountains of the Hindu Kush, an area ...

. The district ''Aria'' of the Achaemenid Empire is mentioned in the provincial lists that are included in various royal inscriptions, for instance, in the

Behistun inscription The Behistun Inscription (also Bisotun, Bisitun or Bisutun; , Old Persian: Bagastana, meaning "the place of god") is a multilingual Achaemenid royal inscriptions, Achaemenid royal inscription and large rock relief on a cliff at Mount Behistun i ...

of

Darius I Darius I ( ; – 486 BCE), commonly known as Darius the Great, was the third King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire, reigning from 522 BCE until his death in 486 BCE. He ruled the empire at its territorial peak, when it included much of West A ...

(ca. 520 BC). Representatives from the district are depicted in reliefs, e.g., at the royal Achaemenid tombs of

Naqsh-e Rustam Naqsh-e Rostam (; , ) is an ancient archeological site and necropolis located about 13 km northwest of Persepolis, in Fars province, Iran. A collection of ancient Iranian rock reliefs are cut into the face of the mountain and the mountain ...

and

Persepolis Persepolis (; ; ) was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire (). It is situated in the plains of Marvdasht, encircled by the southern Zagros mountains, Fars province of Iran. It is one of the key Iranian cultural heritage sites and ...

. They are wearing

Scythian The Scythians ( or ) or Scyths (, but note Scytho- () in composition) and sometimes also referred to as the Pontic Scythians, were an ancient Eastern Iranian equestrian nomadic people who had migrated during the 9th to 8th centuries BC fr ...

-style dress (with a

tunic A tunic is a garment for the torso, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the ankles. It might have arm-sleeves, either short or full-length. Most forms have no fastenings. The name deri ...

and

trousers Trousers (British English), slacks, or pants ( American, Canadian and Australian English) are an item of clothing worn from the waist to anywhere between the knees and the ankles, covering both legs separately (rather than with cloth extending ...

tucked into high

boot A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...

s) and a twisted

Bashlyk A bashlyk, also spelled bashlik, is a traditional Turkic, Caucasian, Iranian, and Cossack cone-shaped hooded headdress, usually of leather, felt or wool, featuring a round topped bonnet with lappets for wrapping around the neck. Local versio ...

that covers their head, chin and neck.

Hamdallah Mustawfi Hamdallah Mustawfi Qazvini (; 1281 – after 1339/40) was a Persian official, historian, geographer and poet. He lived during the last era of the Mongol Ilkhanate, and the interregnum that followed. A native of Qazvin, Mustawfi belonged to fami ...

, composer of the 14th-century geographical work ''

Nuzhat al-Qulub The ''Nuzhat al-Qulub'' (also spelled ''Nozhat al-Qolub''; , ) is a Persian-language geographical treatise written in the 1340s by Hamdallah Mustawfi. It is the earliest surviving work to have a map focused on Iran. Background The date when ...

'' writes that:

Herodotus Herodotus (; BC) was a Greek historian and geographer from the Greek city of Halicarnassus (now Bodrum, Turkey), under Persian control in the 5th century BC, and a later citizen of Thurii in modern Calabria, Italy. He wrote the '' Histori ...

described Herat as ''the breadbasket of Central Asia''. At the time of Alexander the Great in 330 BC, Aria was obviously an important district. It was administered by a

satrap A satrap () was a governor of the provinces of the ancient Median kingdom, Median and Achaemenid Empire, Persian (Achaemenid) Empires and in several of their successors, such as in the Sasanian Empire and the Hellenistic period, Hellenistic empi ...

called

Satibarzanes Satibarzanes (Old Persian: ; Ancient Greek: ; died 330 BC), a Persian, was satrap of Aria under Darius III, king of Persia. In 330 BC, Alexander the Great, marching through the borders of Aria on his way from Hyrcania against the Parthians, was ...

, who was one of the three main Persian officials in the East of the Empire, together with the satrap

Bessus Bessus or Bessos (; ), also known by his throne name Artaxerxes V ( ; ; died summer 329 BC), was a Persian satrap of the eastern Achaemenid satrapy of Bactria, as well as the self-proclaimed King of Kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 330 to 3 ...

of

Bactria Bactria (; Bactrian language, Bactrian: , ), or Bactriana, was an ancient Iranian peoples, Iranian civilization in Central Asia based in the area south of the Oxus River (modern Amu Darya) and north of the mountains of the Hindu Kush, an area ...

and

Barsaentes Barsaentes () was a Persian nobleman, who served as the satrap of Arachosia and Drangiana under the Achaemenid King of Kings Darius III (). Barsaentes took part in the Battle of Gaugamela against the Macedonian king Alexander the Great () in 331 BC ...

of Arachosia. In late 330 BC, Alexander captured the Arian capital that was called Artacoana. The town was rebuilt and the citadel was constructed. Afghanistan became part of the

Seleucid Empire The Seleucid Empire ( ) was a Greek state in West Asia during the Hellenistic period. It was founded in 312 BC by the Macedonian general Seleucus I Nicator, following the division of the Macedonian Empire founded by Alexander the Great ...

. However, most sources suggest that Herat was predominantly

Zoroastrian Zoroastrianism ( ), also called Mazdayasnā () or Beh-dīn (), is an Iranian religion centred on the Avesta and the teachings of Zarathushtra Spitama, who is more commonly referred to by the Greek translation, Zoroaster ( ). Among the wo ...

. It became part of the

Parthian Empire The Parthian Empire (), also known as the Arsacid Empire (), was a major Iranian political and cultural power centered in ancient Iran from 247 BC to 224 AD. Its latter name comes from its founder, Arsaces I, who led the Parni tribe ...

in 167 BC. In the

Sasanian The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranians"), was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign ...

period (226–652), 𐭧𐭥𐭩𐭥 ''Harēv'' is listed in an inscription on the

Ka'ba-i Zartosht Kaaba, Ka'ba-ye Zartosht (), also called the Kaaba or Cube of Zoroaster, is a rectangular stepped stone structure in the Naqsh-e Rustam compound beside Zangiabad, Fars, Zangiabad village in Marvdasht county in Fars province, Fars, Iran. The Naqs ...

at

Naqsh-e Rustam Naqsh-e Rostam (; , ) is an ancient archeological site and necropolis located about 13 km northwest of Persepolis, in Fars province, Iran. A collection of ancient Iranian rock reliefs are cut into the face of the mountain and the mountain ...

; and ''Hariy'' is mentioned in the Pahlavi catalogue of the provincial capitals of the empire. Around 430, the town is also listed as having a Christian community, with a bishop from the

Church of the East The Church of the East ( ) or the East Syriac Church, also called the Church of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, the Persian Church, the Assyrian Church, the Babylonian Church, the Chaldean Church or the Nestorian Church, is one of three major branches o ...

. In the last two centuries of Sasanian rule, Aria (Herat) was of great strategic importance in the endless wars between the Sasanians, the

Chionites Xionites, Chionites, or Chionitae (Middle Persian: ''Xiyōn'' or ''Hiyōn''; Avestan: ''X́iiaona-''; Sogdian language, Sogdian ''xwn''; Zoroastrian Middle Persian, Pahlavi ''Xyōn'') were a nomadic people in the Central Asian regions of Transoxi ...

, and the

Hephthalites The Hephthalites (), sometimes called the White Huns (also known as the White Hunas, in Iranian languages, Iranian as the ''Spet Xyon'' and in Sanskrit and Prakrit as the ''Sveta-huna''), were a people who lived in Central Asia during the 5th to ...

, who had been settled in the northern section of Afghanistan since the late 4th century.

Conversion to Islam

Herat Congregational Mosque -Afghanistan

At the time of the

Arab invasion The early Muslim conquests or early Islamic conquests (), also known as the Arab conquests, were initiated in the 7th century by Muhammad, the founder of Islam. He established the first Islamic state in Medina, Arabia that expanded rapidly un ...

in the middle of the 7th century, the

Sasanian The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranians"), was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign ...

central power seemed already largely nominal in the province in contrast with the role of the

Hephthalites The Hephthalites (), sometimes called the White Huns (also known as the White Hunas, in Iranian languages, Iranian as the ''Spet Xyon'' and in Sanskrit and Prakrit as the ''Sveta-huna''), were a people who lived in Central Asia during the 5th to ...

tribal lords, who were settled in the Herat region and in the neighboring districts, mainly in pastoral Bādghis and in Qohestān. It must be underlined, however, that Herat remained one of the three Sasanian mint centers in the east, the other two beings

Balkh Balkh is a town in the Balkh Province of Afghanistan. It is located approximately to the northwest of the provincial capital city Mazar-i-Sharif and approximately to the south of the Amu Darya and the Afghanistan–Uzbekistan border. In 2021 ...

and Marv. The Hephthalites from Herat and some unidentified

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Turkey * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic lang ...

opposed the Arab forces in a battle of Qohestān in 651-52 AD, trying to block their advance on Nishāpur, but they were defeated. When the Arab armies appeared in Khorāsān in the 650s, Herāt was counted among the twelve capital towns of the Sasanian Empire. The Arab army under the general command of

Ahnaf ibn Qais Abu Bahr Al-Ahnaf ibn Qays () was a Muslim commander who lived during the time of Islamic prophet Muhammad. He hailed from the Arab tribe of Banu Tamim and was born of noble parents. Initially, his father named him ad-Dhahhak, but people called h ...

in its conquest of Khorāsān in 652 seems to have avoided Herāt. The city eventually submitted to the Arabs, since shortly afterward, an Arab governor is mentioned there. A treaty was drawn in which the regions of Bādghis and Bushanj were included. Like many other places in Khorāsān, Herāt rebelled and had to be re-conquered several times. Another power that was active in the area in the 650s was

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

China which had embarked on a campaign that culminated in the

Conquest of the Western Turks The conquest of the Western Turks, known as the Western Tujue in Chinese sources, was a military campaign in 655–657 led by the Tang dynasty generals Su Dingfang and Cheng Zhijie against the Western Turkic Khaganate ruled by Ashina Helu. T ...

. By 659–661, the Tang claimed a tenuous suzerainty over Herat, the westernmost point of Chinese power in its long history. This hold however would be ephemeral with local Turkish tribes rising in rebellion in 665 and driving out the Tang. In 702,

Yazid ibn al-Muhallab Yazid ibn al-Muhallab al-Azdi (; 672/673–24 August 720) was a commander and statesman for the Umayyad Caliphate in Lower Mesopotamia, Iraq and Greater Khorasan, Khurasan in the early 8th century. In 720, he led the last of a series of wide scal ...

defeated certain Arab rebels, followers of

Ibn al-Ash'ath Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn al-Ash'ath (; died 704), commonly known as Ibn al-Ash'ath after his grandfather, was a prominent Arab nobleman and military commander during the Umayyad Caliphate, most notable for leading a failed rebellion aga ...

, and forced them out of Herat. The city was the scene of conflicts between different groups of Muslims and Arab tribes in the disorders leading to the establishment of the

Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes ...

. Herat was also a center of the followers of

Ustadh Sis Ustadh Sis (also spelled: Ustad Sis, or Ostad Sis, ) was a Persian heresiarch and anti-Abbasid rebel leader. It is speculated that he was once a governor of Khorasan and possibly father to Al-Ma'mun’s Iranian mother, Marajil, which woul ...

. In 870,

Ya'qub ibn al-Layth al-Saffar Ya'qub ibn al-Layth Saffar (; 25 October 840 – 5 June 879), was a coppersmith and the founder of the Saffarid dynasty of Sistan, with its capital at Zaranj (a city now in south-western Afghanistan). Under his military leadership, he conquered ...

, the founder of the

Saffarid dynasty The Saffarid dynasty () was a Persianate dynasty of eastern Iranian origin that ruled over parts of Persia, Greater Khorasan, and eastern Makran from 861 to 1002. One of the first indigenous Persian dynasties to emerge after the Islamic conqu ...

, conquered Herat and the rest of the nearby regions in the name of Islam.

Pearl of Khorasan

The region of Herāt was under the rule of King

Nuh II Nuh II (, r. 13 June 976–22 July 997)'' Tabaqat-i Nasiri'' by Minhaj-i-Siraj, pg. 107, Lahore Sangmil Publications 2004 was amir of the Samanids (976–997). He was the son and successor of Mansur I. Beginning and Middle of Reign Havin ...

, the seventh of the

Samanid The Samanid Empire () was a Persianate society, Persianate Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim empire, ruled by a dynasty of Iranian peoples, Iranian ''dehqan'' origin. The empire was centred in Greater Khorasan, Khorasan and Transoxiana, at its greatest ...

line—at the time of

Sebük Tigin Abu Mansur Nasir ad-Din wa'd-Dawla Sabuktigin (; 940s – August-September 997) was the founder of the Ghaznavid dynasty, and amir of Ghazna from 977 to 997. Sabuktigin was a Turkic slave who was bought by Alp-Tegin, the commander of the ...

and his older son,

Mahmud of Ghazni Abu al-Qasim Mahmud ibn Sabuktigin (; 2 November 971 – 30 April 1030), usually known as Mahmud of Ghazni or Mahmud Ghaznavi (), was Sultan of the Ghaznavid Empire, ruling from 998 to 1030. During his reign and in medieval sources, he is usuall ...

. The governor of Herāt was a noble by the name of ''Faik'', who was appointed by Nuh III. It is said that Faik was a powerful but insubordinate governor of Nuh III and had been punished by Nuh III. Faik made overtures to Bogra Khan and Ughar Khan of

Khorasan KhorasanDabeersiaghi, Commentary on Safarnâma-e Nâsir Khusraw, 6th Ed. Tehran, Zavvâr: 1375 (Solar Hijri Calendar) 235–236 (; , ) is a historical eastern region in the Iranian Plateau in West and Central Asia that encompasses western and no ...

. Bogra Khan answered Faik's call, came to Herāt, and became its ruler. The Samanids fled, betrayed at the hands of Faik to whom the defense of Herāt had been entrusted by Nuh III. In 994, Nuh III invited Alptegin to come to his aid. Alptegin, along with Mahmud of Ghazni, defeated Faik and annexed Herāt,

Nishapur Nishapur or Neyshabur (, also ) is a city in the Central District (Nishapur County), Central District of Nishapur County, Razavi Khorasan province, Razavi Khorasan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Ni ...

and Tous. Persian calligraphy - Mir Ali Tabrizi

Herat was a great trading center strategically located on trade routes from the Mediterranean to India or China. The city was noted for its textiles during the

Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes ...

, according to many references by geographers. Herāt also had many learned sons such as Ansārī. The city is described by

Estakhri Abu Ishaq Ibrahim ibn Muhammad al-Farisi al-Istakhri () (also ''Estakhri'', , i.e. from the Iranian city of Istakhr, b. – d. 346 AH/AD 957) was a 10th-century travel author and Islamic geographer who wrote valuable accounts in Arabic of ...

and

Ibn Hawqal Muḥammad Abū’l-Qāsim Ibn Ḥawqal (), also known as Abū al-Qāsim b. ʻAlī Ibn Ḥawqal al-Naṣībī, born in Nisibis, Al-Jazira (caliphal province), Upper Mesopotamia; was a 10th-century Arab Muslim writer, geographer, and chronic ...

in the 10th century as a prosperous town surrounded by strong walls with plenty of water sources, extensive suburbs, an inner citadel, a congregational mosque, and four gates, each gate opening to a thriving market place. The government building was outside the city at a distance of about a mile in a place called Khorāsānābād. A church was still visible in the countryside northeast of the town on the road to

Balkh Balkh is a town in the Balkh Province of Afghanistan. It is located approximately to the northwest of the provincial capital city Mazar-i-Sharif and approximately to the south of the Amu Darya and the Afghanistan–Uzbekistan border. In 2021 ...

, and farther away on a hilltop stood a flourishing

fire temple A fire temple (; ) is a place of worship for Zoroastrians. In Zoroastrian doctrine, ''atar'' and '' aban'' (fire and water) are agents of ritual purity. Clean, white "ash for the purification ceremonies sregarded as the basis of ritual lif ...

, called Sereshk, or Arshak according to Mustawfi. Herat was a part of the Taherid dominion in Khorāsān until the rise of the

Saffarids The Saffarid dynasty () was a Persianate dynasty of eastern Iranian origin that ruled over parts of Persia, Greater Khorasan, and eastern Makran from 861 to 1002. One of the first indigenous Persian dynasties to emerge after the Islamic conq ...

in Sistān under Ya'qub-i Laith in 861, who, in 862, started launching raids on Herat before besieging and capturing it on 16 August 867, and again in 872. The Saffarids succeeded in expelling the Taherids from Khorasan in 873. The Sāmānid dynasty was established in

Transoxiana Transoxiana or Transoxania (, now called the Amu Darya) is the Latin name for the region and civilization located in lower Central Asia roughly corresponding to eastern Uzbekistan, western Tajikistan, parts of southern Kazakhstan, parts of Tu ...

by three brothers, Nuh, Yahyā, and

Ahmad Ahmad () is an Arabic male given name common in most parts of the Muslim world. Other English spellings of the name include Ahmed. It is also used as a surname. Etymology The word derives from the root ( ḥ-m-d), from the Arabic (), from ...

. Ahmad Sāmāni opened the way for the Samanid dynasty to the conquest of Khorāsān, including Herāt, which they were to rule for one century. The centralized Samanid administration served as a model for later dynasties. The Samanid power was destroyed in 999 by the Qarakhanids, who were advancing on

Transoxiana Transoxiana or Transoxania (, now called the Amu Darya) is the Latin name for the region and civilization located in lower Central Asia roughly corresponding to eastern Uzbekistan, western Tajikistan, parts of southern Kazakhstan, parts of Tu ...

from the northeast, and by the

Ghaznavids The Ghaznavid dynasty ( ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a Persianate Muslim dynasty of Turkic peoples, Turkic ''mamluk'' origin. It ruled the Ghaznavid Empire or the Empire of Ghazni from 977 to 1186, which at its greatest extent, extended from the Oxus ...

, former Samanid retainers, attacking from the southeast. Ghaznavid Era Sultan Maḥmud of Ghazni officially took control of Khorāsān in 998. Herat was one of the six Ghaznavid mints in the region. In 1040, Herat was captured by the

Seljuk Empire The Seljuk Empire, or the Great Seljuk Empire, was a High Middle Ages, high medieval, culturally Turco-Persian tradition, Turco-Persian, Sunni Islam, Sunni Muslim empire, established and ruled by the Qiniq (tribe), Qïnïq branch of Oghuz Turks. ...

. During this change of power in Herat, there was supposedly a power vacuum which was filled by Abdullah Awn, who established a city-state and made an alliance with Mahmud of Ghazni. Yet, in 1175, it was captured by the

Ghurids The Ghurid dynasty (also spelled Ghorids; ; self-designation: , ''Šansabānī'') was a Persianate dynasty of eastern Iranian Tajik origin, which ruled from the 8th-century in the region of Ghor, and became an Empire from 1175 to 1215. The G ...

of

Ghor Ghōr, also spelled Ghowr or Ghur (), is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan. It is located in the western Hindu Kush in central Afghanistan, towards the northwest. The province contains eleven districts, encompassing hundreds of vil ...

and then came under the Khawarazm Empire in 1214. According to the account of Mustawfi, Herat flourished especially under the

Ghurid dynasty The Ghurid dynasty (also spelled Ghorids; ; self-designation: , ''Šansabānī'') was a Persianate dynasty of eastern Iranian Tajik origin, which ruled from the 8th-century in the region of Ghor, and became an Empire from 1175 to 1215. The Gh ...

in the 12th century. Mustawfi reported that there were "359 colleges in Herat, 12,000 shops all fully occupied, 6,000 bath-houses; besides caravanserais and mills, also a

darwish Darwish and Darvish (and in French more prominently Darwich and Darwiche) are alternate transliterations of the Persian word "dervish", used in , referring to a Sufi aspirant. There is no v sound in most Modern Arabic dialects and so the originall ...

convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

and a fire temple". There were about 444,000 houses occupied by a settled population. The men were described as "warlike and carry arms", and they were

Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

s. The great mosque of Herāt was built by Ghiyasuddin Ghori in 1201. In this period Herāt became an important center for producing metal goods, especially in

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

, often decorated with elaborate inlays in precious metals. Mongols The

Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire was the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in human history, history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Euro ...

laid siege to Herat twice. The first siege resulted in the surrender of the city, the slaughter of the local sultan's army of 12,000, and the appointment of two governors, one Mongol and one Muslim. The second, prompted by a rebellion against Mongol rule, lasted seven months and ended in June 1222 with, according to one account, the beheading of the entire population of 1,600,000 people by the victorious Mongols, such that "no head was left on a body, nor body with a head." The city remained in ruins from 1222 to about 1236. In 1244, a local prince Shams al-Din Kart was named ruler of Herāt by the Mongol governor of Khorāsān and in 1255 he was confirmed in his rule by the founder of the Il-Khan dynasty

Hulagu Hulegu Khan, also known as Hülegü or Hulagu; ; ; ; ( 8 February 1265), was a Mongol ruler who conquered much of Western Asia. As a son of Tolui and the Keraite princess Sorghaghtani Beki, he was a grandson of Genghis Khan and brother of Ar ...

. Shamsuddin Kart founded a new dynasty and his successors, especially Fakhruddin Kart and Ghiyasuddin Kart, built many mosques and other buildings. The members of this dynasty were great patrons of literature and the arts. By this time Herāt became known as the ''pearl of Khorasan''.

Timur Timur, also known as Tamerlane (1320s17/18 February 1405), was a Turco-Mongol conqueror who founded the Timurid Empire in and around modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and Central Asia, becoming the first ruler of the Timurid dynasty. An undefeat ...

took Herat in 1380 and he brought the Kartid dynasty to an end a few years later. The city reached its greatest glory under the

Timurid princes Timurid refers to those descended from Timur (Tamerlane), a 14th-century conqueror: * Timurid dynasty, a dynasty of Turco-Mongol lineage descended from Timur who established empires in Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent ** Timurid Empire of ...

, especially

Sultan Husayn Bayqara Sultan Husayn Bayqara Mirza ( ''Husayn Bāyqarā''; June/July 1438 – 4 May 1506) was the Timurid dynasty, Timurid ruler of Herat from 1469 until May 4, 1506, with a brief interruption in 1470. A skilled statesman, Sultan Husayn Bayqara was ...

who ruled Herat from 1469 until 4 May 1506. His chief minister, the poet and author in Persian and Turkish, Mir Ali-Shir Nava'i was a great builder and patron of the arts. Under the Timurids, Herat assumed the role of the main capital of an empire that extended in the West as far as central

Persia Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

. As the capital of the Timurid empire, it boasted many fine religious buildings and was famous for its sumptuous court life and musical performance and its tradition of miniature paintings. On the whole, the period was one of relative stability, prosperity, and development of economy and cultural activities. It began with the nomination of Shahrokh, the youngest son of Timur, as governor of Herat in 1397. The reign of Shahrokh in Herat was marked by intense royal patronage, building activities, and the promotion of manufacturing and trade, especially through the restoration and enlargement of the Herat's bāzār. The present Musallah Complex, and many buildings such as the madrasa of

Gawhar Shad Gawhar Shad (; meaning "joyful jewel" or "shining jewel"; also Gawhar Shad Begum, Gohar Shād or Gawharshâd; died 19 July 1457) was the chief consort of Shah Rukh, the emperor of the Timurid Empire. Life She was the daughter of Giāth ud-Din T ...

, Ali Shir mahāl, many gardens, and others, date from this time. The village of Gazar Gah, over two km northeast of Herat, contained a shrine that was enlarged and embellished under the Timurids. The tomb of the poet and mystic Khwājah Abdullāh Ansārī (d. 1088), was first rebuilt by Shahrokh about 1425, and other famous men were buried in the shrine area. In the summer of 1458, the

Qara Qoyunlu The Qara Qoyunlu or Kara Koyunlu (, ; ), also known as the Black Sheep Turkomans, were a culturally Persianate, Muslim Turkoman "Kara Koyunlu, also spelled Qara Qoyunlu, Turkish Karakoyunlular, English Black Sheep, Turkmen tribal federation tha ...

under

Jahan Shah Muzaffar al-Din Jahan Shah ibn Yusuf (; ; 1397 in Khoy or 1405 in Mardin – 30 October or 11 November 1467 near Bingöl) or Abu al-Muzaffar Jahan Shah was the leader of the Qara Qoyunlu Oghuz Turkic tribal confederacy in Azerbaijan (Iran), Azer ...

advanced as far as Herat, but had to turn back soon because of a revolt by his son Hasan Ali and also because Abu Said's march on Tabriz. In 1507, Herat was occupied by the

Uzbeks The Uzbeks () are a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia, being among the largest Turkic ethnic groups in the area. They comprise the majority population of Uzbekistan, next to Kazakhs, Kazakh and Karakalpaks, Karakalpak ...

but after much fighting the city was taken by Shah Isma'il, the founder of the

Safavid dynasty The Safavid dynasty (; , ) was one of Iran's most significant ruling dynasties reigning from Safavid Iran, 1501 to 1736. Their rule is often considered the beginning of History of Iran, modern Iranian history, as well as one of the gunpowder em ...

, in 1510 and the Shamlu

Qizilbash Qizilbash or Kizilbash (Latin script: ) ; ; (modern Iranian reading: ); were a diverse array of mainly Turkoman "The Qizilbash, composed mainly of Turkman tribesmen, were the military force introduced by the conquering Safavis to the Irani ...

assumed the governorship of the area. Under the Safavids, Herat was again relegated to the position of a provincial capital, albeit one of particular importance. At the death of Shah Isma'il the Uzbeks again took Herat and held it until

Shah Tahmasp Tahmasp I ( or ; 22 February 1514 – 14 May 1576) was the second shah of Safavid Iran from 1524 until his death in 1576. He was the eldest son of Shah Ismail I and his principal consort, Tajlu Khanum. Tahmasp ascended the throne after the d ...

retook it in 1528. The Persian king, Shah Abbas the Great was born in Herat, and in Safavid texts, Herat is referred to as ''a'zam-i bilād-i īrān'', meaning "the greatest of the cities of Iran". In the 16th century, all future Safavid Persian rulers, from Tahmasp I to Abbas I, were governors of Herat in their youth.

Modern history (1500-2023)

By the early 18th century Herat was governed by the Abdali Afghans. After

Nader Shah Nader Shah Afshar (; 6 August 1698 or 22 October 1688 – 20 June 1747) was the founder of the Afsharid dynasty of Iran and one of the most powerful rulers in Iranian history, ruling as shah of Iran (Persia) from 1736 to 1747, when he was a ...

's death in 1747,

Ahmad Shah Durrani Ahmad Shāh Durrānī (; ; – 4 June 1772), also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī (), was the first ruler and founder of the Durrani Empire. He is often regarded as the founder of modern Afghanistan. Throughout his reign, Ahmad Shah fought ov ...

took possession of the city and became part of the

Durrani Empire The Durrani Empire, colloquially known as the Afghan Empire, or the Saddozai Kingdom, was an Afghanistan, Afghan empire founded by the Durrani tribe of Pashtuns under Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747, which spanned parts of Central Asia, the Iranian ...

.

Qiran Coin of Naser al-Din Qajar minted in Herat

In 1793, Herat became independent for several years when

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

underwent a civil war between different sons of Timur Shah. The Iranians had multiple wars with Herat between 1801 and 1837 (1804, 1807, 1811, 1814, 1817, 1818, 1821, 1822, 1825, 1833). The Iranians besieged the city in 1837, but the British helped the Heratis in repelling them. In 1856, they invaded again, and briefly managed to take the city on 25 October; it led directly to the

Anglo-Persian War The Anglo-Persian War, also known as the Anglo-Iranian War (), was a war fought between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and Qajar Iran, Iran, which was ruled by the Qajar dynasty. The war had the British oppose a ...

. In 1857 hostilities between the Iranians and the British ended after the Treaty of Paris was signed, and the Persian troops withdrew from Herat in September 1857. Afghanistan conquered Herat on 26 May 1863, under

Dost Muhammad Khan Dost Mohammad Khan Barakzai (Pashto/; 23 December 1792 – 8 June 1863), nicknamed the Amir-i Kabir, was the founder of the Barakzai dynasty and one of the prominent rulers of Afghanistan during the First Anglo-Afghan War. With the decline of ...

, two weeks before his death. File:Herat Remains of Musallah complex.jpg, Traffic passing on the road near the Herat minarets, 2005. File:Gawhar shad-1417-2.jpg, The two mausoleums with the minarets, July 2001. The famous Musalla of Gawhar Shah of Herat, a large Islamic religious complex consisting of five minarets, several mausoleums along with

mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...

s and

madrasa Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes Romanization of Arabic, romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any Educational institution, type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whet ...

s was dynamited during the

Panjdeh incident The Panjdeh incident (spelled Penjdeh in older accounts, and known in Russian historiography as the battle of the Kushka) was an armed engagement between the Emirate of Afghanistan and the Russian Empire in 1885 that led to a diplomatic crisi ...

to prevent their usage by the advancing

Russian forces The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, commonly referred to as the Russian Armed Forces, are the military of Russia. They are organized into three service branches—the Ground Forces, Navy, and Aerospace Forces—two independent combat ...

. Some emergency preservation work was carried out at the site in 2001 which included building protective walls around the Gawhar Shad Mausoleum and Sultan Husain Madrasa, repairing the remaining minaret of Gawhar Shad's Madrasa, and replanting the mausoleum garden. In the aftermath of the

Afghan Civil War (1928–1929) The Afghan Civil War of 1928–1929 was fought from 14 November 1928 to 13 October 1929. Rebelling, and subsequently governing Saqqawists, Saqqawist (''Saqāwīhā'') forces under Habibullāh Kalakāni fought against various opposing tribes and r ...

, Herat was the last stronghold of Saqqawist resistance, holding out until 1931 when it was retaken by forces loyal to

Mohammad Nadir Shah Mohammad Nadir Shah (Pashto/Dari: محمد نادر شاه April 1883 – 8 November 1933) was King of Afghanistan from 15 October 1929 until his assassination in November 1933. He became the king after his victory in the Afghan Civil War of 1 ...

. In the 1960s, engineers from the United States built Herat Airport, which was used by the

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

forces during the

Democratic Republic of Afghanistan The Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, later known as the Republic of Afghanistan, was the Afghan state between History of Afghanistan (1978–1992), 1978 and 1992. It was bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, by Iran to the west, by the ...

in the 1980s. Even before the Soviet invasion at the end of 1979, there was a substantial presence of Soviet advisors in the city with their families. Between 10–20 March 1979, the

Afghan Army The Islamic National Army (, ), also referred to as the Islamic Emirate Army and the Afghan Army, is the land force branch of the Afghan Armed Forces. The roots of an army in Afghanistan can be traced back to the early 18th century when the Ho ...

in Herat under the control of commander

Ismail Khan Mohammad Ismail Khan (Dari/Pashto: محمد اسماعیل خان; born 1946), better known as Ismail Khan, is an Afghan former military officer, warlord and politician who served as Minister of Energy and Water from 2005 to 2013 and before tha ...

mutinied. Thousands of protesters took to the streets against the

Khalq Khalq (Dari/, ) was a faction of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA). Its historical ''de facto'' leaders were Nur Muhammad Taraki (1967–1979), Hafizullah Amin (1979) It was also the name of the leftist newspaper produced by ...

communist regime's oppression led by

Nur Mohammad Taraki Nur Muhammad Taraki (; 14 July 1917 – 9 October 1979) was an Afghan communist politician, journalist and writer. He was a founding member of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) who served as its General Secretary from 1965 to ...

. The new rebels led by Khan managed to oust the communists and take control of the city for 3 days, with some protesters murdering any Soviet advisers and targeting women without headscarves, dubbed ''sārluchi''. This shocked the government, who blamed the new administration of

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

following the Iranian Revolution for influencing the uprising. Reprisals by the government followed, and between 3,000 and 24,000 people (according to different sources) were killed, in what is called the 1979 Herat uprising, or in Persian as the ''Qiam-e Herat''. The city itself was recaptured with by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, Afghan Army’s 4th and 15th Armoured Brigades, detachments of the Afghan Commando Forces and the Afghan Air Force (1978–1992), Afghan Air Force but at the cost of thousands of civilians killed. This rebellion was the first of its kind since the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919, and was the bloodiest event preceding the Soviet–Afghan War. Herat in June 2011-cropped

NATO and Afghan officials at Herat International Airport in 2012

Herat received damage during the Soviet–Afghan War, especially its western side. The province as a whole was one of the worst-hit. In April 1983, a series of Soviet bombings damaged half of the city and killed around 3,000 civilians, described as "extremely heavy, brutal and prolonged". Ismail Khan was the leading mujahideen commander in Herat fighting against the Soviet-backed government. After the communist government's collapse in 1992, Khan joined the Islamic State of Afghanistan, new government and he became governor of

Herat Province Herat ( Dari: هرات) is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, located in the western part of the country. Together with Badghis, Farah, and Ghor provinces, it makes up the north-western region of Afghanistan. Its primary city a ...

. The city was relatively safe and it was recovering and rebuilding from the damage caused in the Soviet–Afghan War. However, on 5 September 1995, the city was captured by the

Taliban , leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders , leader1_name = {{indented plainlist, * Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013) * Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016) * Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...

without much resistance, forcing Khan to flee. Herat became the first Persian-speaking city to be captured by the Taliban. The Taliban's strict enforcement of laws confining women at home and closing girls' schools alienated Heratis who are traditionally more liberal and educated, like the Kabulis, than other urban populations in the country. Two days of anti-Taliban protests occurred in December 1996 which was violently dispersed and led to the imposition of a curfew. In May 1999, a rebellion in Herat was crushed by the Taliban, who blamed Iran for causing it. After the United States invasion of Afghanistan, U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, on 12 November 2001, it was captured from the Taliban by forces loyal to the Northern Alliance and Ismail Khan returned to power (see Battle of Herat). The state of the city was reportedly much better than that of Kabul. In 2004, Mirwais Sadiq, Aviation Minister of Afghanistan and the son of Ismail Khan, was ambushed and killed in Herāt by a local rival group. More than 200 people were arrested under suspicion of involvement. In 2005, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) began establishing bases in and around the city. Its main mission was to train the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and help with the rebuilding process of the country. Train Advise Assist Command – West, Regional Command West, led by Italy, assisted the Afghan National Army (ANA) 207th Corps (Afghanistan), 207th Corps. Herat was one of the first seven areas that transitioned security responsibility from NATO to Afghanistan. In July 2011, the Afghan security forces assumed security responsibility from NATO. Due to their close relations, Iran began investing in the development of Herat's power, economy and education sectors. In the meantime, the United States built a consul (representative), consulate in Herat to help further strengthen its Afghanistan – United States relations, relations with Afghanistan. In addition to the usual services, the consulate works with the local officials on development projects and with security issues in the region. On 12 August 2021, the city was Fall of Herat, captured by the

Taliban , leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders , leader1_name = {{indented plainlist, * Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013) * Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016) * Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...

during the 2021 Taliban offensive.

Geography

Climate

Herat has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification ''BSk''). Precipitation is very low, and mostly falls in winter. Although Herāt is approximately lower than Kandahar, the summer climate is more temperate, and the climate throughout the year is far from disagreeable, although winter temperatures are comparably lower. From May to September, the wind blows from the northwest with great force. The winter is tolerably mild; snow melts rather quickly, and even on the mountains does not lie long. The eastern reaches of the Hari River, including the rapids, are frozen hard in the winter, and people travel on it as on a road.

Places of interest

*Foreign consulates India, Iran and Pakistan operate their consulate here for trade, military and political links. *Neighborhoods **Shahr-e Naw (Downtown) **Welayat (Office of the governor) **Qol-Ordue (Army's HQ) **Farqa (Army's HQ) **Darwaze Khosh **Chaharsu **Pul-e Rangine **Sufi-abad **New-abad **Pul-e malaan **Thakhte Safar **Howz-e-Karbas **Baramaan **Darwaze-ye Qandahar **Darwaze-ye Iraq **Darwaze Az Kordestan Gawhar Shad bigum by ali mosavi sam

*Parks **Park-e Taraki **Park-e Millat **Khane-ye Jihad Park *Monuments **

Herat Citadel The Arg-e Herat ( Dari Persian: ارگ هرات), or Citadel of Herat, is a fort located in the center of Herat in Afghanistan. It dates back to 330 BC, when Alexander the Great and his army arrived to Afghanistan after the Battle of Gaugamela. M ...

(Qala Ikhtyaruddin or Arg) **Musalla Complex, Musallah Complex **Musalla Minarets of Herat Of the more than dozen minarets that once stood in Herāt, many have been toppled from war and neglect over the past century. Recently, however, everyday traffic threatens many of the remaining unique towers by shaking the very foundations they stand on. Cars and trucks that drive on a road encircling the ancient city rumble the ground every time they pass these historic structures. UNESCO personnel and Afghan authorities have been working to stabilize the Fifth Minaret. *Museums **Herat Museum, located inside the Herat Citadel **Jihad Museum *Mausoleums and tombs ** Gawhar Shad Mausoleum **Khwaja 'Abd Allah Ansari shrine, Mausoleum of Khwajah Abdullah Ansari **Tomb of Jami **Tomb of khaje Qaltan **Mausoleum of Mirwais Sadiq **Jewish cemetery – there once existed an ancient Jewish community in the city. Its remnants are a cemetery and a ruined shrine. *Mosques **Jumu'ah Mosque (Friday Mosque of Herat) **Gazargah Sharif **Khalghe Sharif **Shah Zahdahe *Stadiums **Herat Stadium *Universities **Herat University

Demography

The population of Herat numbered approximately 592,902 in 2021. According to the 2023 CSSF Report, Herat is majority Pashtun who make 40% of the provinces population and with significant Tajik, Hazara, and Uzbek minorities. Persian language, Persian is the native language of Herat and the local dialect – known by natives as ''Herātī'' – belongs to the ''Khorāsānī'' cluster within Persian. It is akin to the Persian dialects of eastern Iran, notably those of Mashhad and Khorasan Province, which borders Herat. This Persian dialect serves as the lingua franca of the city. The second language that is understood by many is Pashto language, Pashto, which is the native language of the Pashtuns. The local Pashto dialect spoken in Herat is a variant of Southern Pashto, western Pashto, which is also spoken in Kandahar and southern and western Afghanistan. Religiously, Shia Islam in Afghanistan, shia lslam is practiced by the majority, while Sunni Islam, sunni make up the minority. The city has high residential density clustered around the core of the city. However, vacant plots account for a higher percentage of the city (21%) than residential land use (18%) and agricultural is the largest percentage of total land use (36%). The city once had a History of the Jews in Afghanistan, Jewish community. About 280 families lived in Herat as of 1948, but most of them moved to Israel that year, and the community disappeared by 1992. There are four former synagogues in the city's old quarter, which were neglected for decades and fell into disrepair. In the late 2000s, the buildings of the synagogues were renovated by the Aga Khan Trust for culture, and at this time, three of them were turned into schools and nurseries, the Jewish community having vanished. In 2022, the Taliban government approved conservation work on the Yu Aw Synagogue, located in Herat's old city. The Jewish cemetery is being taken care of by Jalil Ahmed Abdelaziz.

Sports

;Professional sports teams from Herat * Stadiums ** Herat Cricket Ground ** Herat Stadium

Notable people from Herat

Rulers and emperors

* Tahir ibn Husayn, 9th century

Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasid Caliphate or Abbasid Empire (; ) was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes ...

army general, and the founder of Tahirid dynasty * Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad, Ghiyasuddin Muhammad, was the emperor of the Ghurid dynasty from 1163 to 1202. * Shah Rukh (Timurid dynasty), Mīrzā Shāhrūkh bin Tīmur Barlas, Emperor of the Timurid dynasty of Herāt * Abu Sa'id Mirza, ruler of the

Timurid Empire The Timurid Empire was a late medieval, culturally Persianate, Turco-Mongol empire that dominated Greater Iran in the early 15th century, comprising modern-day Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, much of Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and parts of co ...

during the mid-fifteenth century * Husayn Bayqarah, Mīrzā Husseyn Bāyqarāh, Emperor of the Timurid dynasty of Herāt * Abbas I of Persia, Shāh Abbās ''The Great'', Emperor of Safavids, Safavid Persia *

Ahmad Shah Durrani Ahmad Shāh Durrānī (; ; – 4 June 1772), also known as Ahmad Shāh Abdālī (), was the first ruler and founder of the Durrani Empire. He is often regarded as the founder of modern Afghanistan. Throughout his reign, Ahmad Shah fought ov ...

, founder of the

Durrani Empire The Durrani Empire, colloquially known as the Afghan Empire, or the Saddozai Kingdom, was an Afghanistan, Afghan empire founded by the Durrani tribe of Pashtuns under Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747, which spanned parts of Central Asia, the Iranian ...

* Dost Mohammad Khan, Emir Dost Mohammad Khan, founder of the Barakzai dynasty, buried in the city * Sultan Jan, ruler of Herat in the 19th century

Politicians

* Ahmad Maymandi, 11th century Persian language, Persian vizier of the Ghaznavids, Ghaznavid empire *

Ismail Khan Mohammad Ismail Khan (Dari/Pashto: محمد اسماعیل خان; born 1946), better known as Ismail Khan, is an Afghan former military officer, warlord and politician who served as Minister of Energy and Water from 2005 to 2013 and before tha ...

, former List of governors of Herat, governor of Herat Province and Ministry of Water and Energy (Afghanistan), Minister of Water and Energy * Amina Afzali, Amena Afzali, politician * Faramarz Tamanna, politician

Poets

* Asjadi, 10th-11th century royal Persian language, Persian poet at the court of the

Ghaznavids The Ghaznavid dynasty ( ''Ġaznaviyān'') was a Persianate Muslim dynasty of Turkic peoples, Turkic ''mamluk'' origin. It ruled the Ghaznavid Empire or the Empire of Ghazni from 977 to 1186, which at its greatest extent, extended from the Oxus ...

* Khwaja Abdullah Ansari, Khwājah Abdullāh al-Herawi al-Ansārī, a Persian language, Persian poet of the 11th century *Pur-Baha Jami, 13th century Iranian peoples, Iranian poet, Pun master, satirist, and often scathing social commentator, born in Minaret of Jam, Jam, spent his youth in Herat * Jami, Nūr ud-Dīn Jāmī, a Persian language, Persian Sufi poet of the 15th century * Mir Ali Shir Nava'i, Nizām ud-Din ʿAlī Shīr Herawi, famous poet and scientist of the Timurid dynasty, Timurid era * Hatefi, a Persian language, Persian poet of the 16th century and nephew of Jami, Nūr ud-Dīn Jāmī * Latif Nazemi, Persian language, Persian poet * Nadia Anjuman (1981–2005), poet writing in

Dari Dari (; endonym: ), Dari Persian (, , or , ), or Eastern Persian is the variety of the Persian language spoken in Afghanistan. Dari is the Afghan government's official term for the Persian language;Lazard, G.Darī – The New Persian ...

Scientists

* Muvaffak, Abu Mansur Muvaffak Harawi, 10th-century Persian people, Persian physician * Abolfadl Harawi, 10th-century astronomer under the patroange of the Buyid dynasty, Buyids in Ray, Iran, Rey, originally from Herat *Ahmad ibn Farrokh, 12th-century Persian physician * Taftazani, a Muslim polymath of the 14th century * Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Harawi 15th century Persian language, Persian physician * Nimat Allah al-Harawi 17th century Persian language, Persian chronicler at the court of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir

Religious figures

* Abu Dharr al-Harawi, a Muhaddith from the 10th century * Abu Uthman al-Sabuni, from the 11th-century, leading

Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...

scholar and hadith expert, jurist in the Shafi'i school, Shafi'i school, respected Qur'anic exegete and theologian, regarded as Shaykh al-Islām, a title that was uniquely his among the Sunnis of his time * Fakhr ad-Din ar-Razi, Fakhr ad-Din al-Razi, polymath and Islamic scholar of the 12th-century * Hussain Kashefi, a 15th-century Persian prose-stylist and Islamic scholar and scientist * Mir Zahid Harawi, from the 17th century, religious scholar and historian, whose father was from Herat * Ali al-Qari, Ali al-Hirawi al-Qari, from 17th century, considered to be one of the masters of hadith and Imams of fiqh * Maulana Azad, from 20th-century, Indian independence activist, whose forefathers came from Herat * Mujib Rahman Ansari (1982–2022), mullah and pro-

Taliban , leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders , leader1_name = {{indented plainlist, * Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013) * Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016) * Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...

cleric

Artists

* Ali ibn Abi Bakr al-Harawi 12th and 13th century Persian language, Persian traveller and first known graffiti artist in the

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

world, originally from Herat * Kamāl ud-Dīn Behzād, Ustād Kamāl ud-Dīn Behzād, the greatest of the medieval Persian miniature, Persian painters * Mir Ali Heravi, prominent Persian people, Persian calligrapher and calligraphy teacher of Nastaʿlīq script in the 16th century * Alka Sadat, Film producer was born here * Sonita Alizadeh, rapper and activist

Sports

* Nadia Nadim, Afghan-Danish Association football, football player, most influential and greatest Afghans, Afghan female football player of all time, won the French league title in the 2020–21 Division 1 Féminine, 2020-21 season with Paris Saint-Germain Féminine, Paris Saint-Germain * Hamidullah Karimi, Afghans, Afghan footballer, plays as a forward for Indian club Delhi United FC *Mohammad Rafi Barekzay, Afghanistan, Afghan footballer, plays as a midfielder for Toofaan Harirod F.C., Toofaan Harirod F.C

Others

* Gowhar Shad, wife of Shah Rukh, Shāh Rūkh Mīrzā * Zablon Simintov, last remaining Jews, Jew who is believed to lived in Afghanistan

Economy and infrastructure

Transport

Air

Herat International Airport in February 2012

Herat International Airport was built by engineers from the United States in the 1960s and was used by the Soviet Armed Forces during the Soviet–Afghan War in the 1980s. It was bombed in late 2001 during Operation Enduring Freedom but had been rebuilt within the next decade. The runway of the airport has been extended and upgraded and as of August 2014 there were regularly scheduled direct flights to Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, Dubai International Airport, Dubai, Mashhad International Airport, Mashad, and various airports in Afghanistan. At least five airlines operated regularly scheduled direct flights to Kabul International Airport, Kabul.

Rail

Rail transport, Rail connections to and from Herat were proposed many times, during ''The Great Game'' of the 19th century and again in the 1970s and 1980s, but nothing came to life. In February 2002, Iran and the Asian Development Bank announced funding for a railway connecting Torbat-e Heydarieh in Iran to Herat. This was later changed to begin in Khaf, Iran, Khaf in Iran, a railway for both cargo and passengers, with work on the Iranian side of the border starting in 2006. Construction is underway in the Afghan side and it was estimated to be completed by March 2018. There is also the prospect of an extension across Afghanistan to Sher Khan Bandar.

Road

The AH76 highway connects Herat to Maymana and the north. The AH77 connects it east towards Chaghcharan and north towards Mary, Turkmenistan, Mary in Turkmenistan. Highway 1 (part of Asian highway AH1) links it to Mashhad in Iran to the northwest, and south via the Kandahar–Herat Highway to Delaram.

Gallery

File:CH-NB - Afghanistan, Herat- Schrein von Gazar Gah - Annemarie Schwarzenbach - SLA-Schwarzenbach-A-5-19-193.jpg, Outside the Shrine of Khwaja Abd Allah, Shrine of Gazar Gah, c. 1939 File:US consulate in Herat.jpg, List of diplomatic missions of the United States, U.S. Consulate in Herat File:Mausoleum of Mirwais Sadiq Khan in 2009.jpg, Mausoleum of Mirwais Sadiq, Mirwais Sadiq Khan, son of

Ismail Khan Mohammad Ismail Khan (Dari/Pashto: محمد اسماعیل خان; born 1946), better known as Ismail Khan, is an Afghan former military officer, warlord and politician who served as Minister of Energy and Water from 2005 to 2013 and before tha ...

, who was killed in 2004 in clashes with the Afghan National Army File:Development Bank of Afghanistan.JPG, Shopping center File:PoleMalanHerat.jpg, Pol-e Mālān, a historical bridge File:Herat 6918a.jpg, Pillar of Musalla Complex, Musallah Complex File:Herat Ansari tomb.jpg, Khwaja 'Abd Allah Ansari shrine, Khwājah Abdullāh Ansārī shrine, a Sufi of the 11th century File:Gazar Gah cemetery 1.jpg, Gazar Gah cemetery File:Jami Tomb.JPG, Tomb of Jāmi, a poet of the 15th century File:Herat Jews Cemetery.jpg, The History of the Jews in Afghanistan, Jewish cemetery File:View of Herat in 2009.jpg, View of Herat from a hill

Herat in fiction

*The beginning of Khaled Hosseini's 2007 novel ''A Thousand Splendid Suns'' is set in and around Herāt. *Salman Rushdie's novel ''The Enchantress of Florence'' makes frequent reference to events in Herāt in the Middle Ages.

Sister cities

* Council Bluffs, Iowa, United States (since 2016)

References

Sources

* *

Attribution

*

External links

* * * * * *
Detailed map of Herāt cityMap of Herāt and surroundings in 1942
Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection, University of Texas at Austin {{Iranian Architecture Herat, Cities in Afghanistan Cities in Central Asia Populated places along the Silk Road Populated places in Herat Province Provincial capitals in Afghanistan Cities founded by Alexander the Great

History

Conversion to Islam

Pearl of Khorasan

Modern history (1500-2023)

Geography

Climate

Places of interest

Demography

Sports

Notable people from Herat

Rulers and emperors

Politicians

Poets

Scientists

Religious figures

Artists

Sports

Others

Economy and infrastructure

Transport

Air

Rail

Road

Gallery

Herat in fiction

Sister cities

See also

References

Sources

Attribution

External links