'''Herāt''' (
Persian هرات) is a city in western
Afghanistan, in the valley of the
Hari Rud river in the province also known as
Herat, and was traditionally known for wine. The inhabitants are mainly
Persians.
It is an ancient city with many historic buildings, although these have suffered damage in various military conflicts during the last few decades. The buildings are generally constructed of mud brick. The city is dominated by the remains of a
citadel, constructed under the rule of Alexander of Macedon.
The city had a favourable position on the trade routes between
Persia,
India,
China and
Europe. The roads from Herat to
Turkmenistan and
Iran are still strategically important.
History
Herat is probably a descendant of the ancient Persian town of Artacoana, established before 500 BC. It may also have been known as Aria.
Citadel, July 2001
It was captured by Alexander in
330 BC during his war against the Persian Achaemenid Empire. The town was rebuilt and the citadel was constructed. It was part of the
Seleucid Empire but was captured by others on various occasions and became part of the Parthian Empire in
167 BC.
Around 300 it became a seat of
Christianity, with a Nestorian bishop.
Around 484 it became part of the Hephthalite Empire.
Around 786-809 it was part of the
Abbasid caliphate.
Later, it was ruled by the
Tahirid dynasty.
After 867-869 the
Saffarid dynasty took control.
Before 1040 it was ruled by the Ghaznavids. In 1040 it was captured by the Seljuk Empire. In 1175 it was captured by the Ghorids and then came under the Khawarazm Empire. In this period Herat became an important center for the production of metal goods, especially in
bronze, often decorated with elaborate inlays in precious metals.
In 1221 it was captured by the
Mongols and later destroyed by
Genghis Khan. In 1245 it was given to the Kart Maliks.
Remains of Musallah complex, July 2001
Around 1381 it was destroyed again by
Timur. Under his son
Shah Rukh it was rebuilt and became an important center under the
Timurid Empire. In the late
1400s the Musallah complex (with many
minarets) was built under the rule of Queen Gawharshad. Her tomb complex is considered one of the great monuments of Timurid architectural carving.
In 1506 it was captured by the
Uzbeks and a few years later by Shah Ismail Safavi, to become part of a new
Persian Empire.
From 1718 until 1880 there were various battles until the city became part of a united
Afghanistan. During the Qajar period of Persia,
Britain supported the Afghans inorder to protect their
East India Company.
Nasereddin Shah was unable to defeat The British at Herat in 1857.
Most of the Musallah complex in Herat was destroyed in 1885 by the British army for a clear line of sight for their artillery against Russian invaders (who never came).
During the communist
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan Herat was used by the
Soviets. Even before the Soviet invasion at the end of 1979, there was a substantial presence of Soviet advisors in the city with their families. From 10 to 20 March 1979 the army in Herat under the control of
Ismail Khan mutinied and 350 Soviet citizens were killed. The Soviets
bombed the city, causing massive destruction and thousands of deaths and it was recaptured with
tanks and
paratroopers.
Ismail Khan became a Mujahedin commander and after the departure of the Soviets he became governor of Herat. In 1995 the city was captured by the
Taliban. On 12 November, 2001 it was captured by the
Northern Alliance and Ismail Khan returned to power in the region.
External links
Category:Cities along the Silk Road
Category:Cities in Afghanistan
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