Torghundi (, ) or Turgundy () is a
border town in northern
Herat Province of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan to the northwe ...
. The town's main attraction is the Torghundi
custom house and
border checkpoint, which officially connects Afghanistan by road with
Turkmenistan. Torghundi is the second checkpoint and
border crossing between the two countries, with
Aqina to the northeast being the other. Torghundi is connected by both a regular road and a 1520 mm gauge
railroad with the neighboring town of
Serhetabat in Turkmenistan. The city of
Herat
Herat, also written as Harat or Hirat, and historically known as Haraiva, Horeiva and Hires, is a city in western Afghanistan, serving as the capital and largest city of Herat Province. It has long been the third-largest city of Afghanistan ...
in Afghanistan is located about of driving distance south from Torghundi.
The railroad at Torghundi was originally established in the early 1960s as a single track, and was upgraded in 2017.
Torghundi has become the starting point of the
Lapis Lazuli trade corridor.
Situated at
above sea level in the
Kushk District of Herat Province, Torghundi serves as one of the major
transporting, shipping and receiving locations in Afghanistan. It also serves as one of the
official border crossings between the people of Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Security in and around the town is provided by the
Afghan National Security Forces, which include the
Afghan Border Force. The town fell to
Taliban forces in July 2021, as part of the wider
2021 Taliban offensive. Every visitor or traveler between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan is required to possess a valid
travel visa.
Name
The name Torghundi means Dark Hill or Black Hill in
Pashto language.
Climate
With an influence from the local steppe climate, Torghundi features a
cold semi-arid climate (''BSk'') under the
Köppen climate classification. The average temperature in Toraghundi is 15.8 °C, while the annual precipitation averages 300 mm.
July is the hottest month of the year with an average temperature of 28.5 °C. The coldest month January has an average temperature of 3.4 °C.
See also
*
Afghanistan–Turkmenistan border
*
Afghanistan–Turkmenistan relations
*
Land border crossings of Afghanistan
*
Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India Pipeline (TAPI)
References
External links
*
*
Populated places in Herat Province
Afghanistan–Turkmenistan border crossings
{{Herat-geo-stub