1.) General Information
2.) Places to Visit
3.) Visas and Customs
4.) Accommodation
5.) Transportation
6.) Travel Agencies and Tourism
7.) Banks
8.) Shopping
9.) Restaurants in Kabul
10.) Internet Access
11.) Mobile Phones
12.) Beauty Salons and Dry Cleaning
13.) Shipping Outlets
Places to Visit
- Kabul
- Country Life, A Major Characteristic of Afghanistan
- Mazar Sharif - Balkh
- Balkh
- Herat
- Kandahar
- Ghazni
- Chai-Khana
- Nouristan
- Bande Amir
- Bamiyan
- Map
Downtown Kabul
Kabul, Afghanistan, 2003,
©Luke Powell, 2005.
Kabul, Afghanistan, 2003,
©Luke Powell, 2005.
Simple Door Malé Sura Kona Mosque,
Herat, Afghanistan, 2003.
Rooftop View
The Mosjid-Juma is in the distance. The objects on the
rooftop in the foreground are air vents to let the heat
out of the ceilings in the rooms below. Herat, Afghanistan,
2003.
Near the Hajigak Pass Near the Hajigak
Pass, Bamiyan Province, Afghanistan, 2003.
The Red Fortress Bamiyan Province,
Afghanistan, 2003.
The ruins above are
from the fortress that guarded the valley during the reigns
of the Shansabani Kings. It was destroyed by the Mongols
in 1221. The village below was ruined by the Taliban.
Wheat Threshing Bamiyan, Bamiyan Province,
Afghanistan, 2003.
Bridge at Sunset Bamiyan, Afghanistan,
June 2003.
Tractor Kunduz Province, Afghanistan,
September 2003.
Boys with a Calf West of Khanabad,
Kunduz Province, Afghanistan, April 2003.
Carpenters Kunduz, Kunduz Province,
Afghanistan.
Two Donkeys Dara-i-Suf, Sar-i-Pol Province,
Afghanistan, May 2003.
Village, Mountain, and Cloud Toward
Mazar from Sholgara, Afghanistan.
The Road to School Toward Mazar from
Sholgara, Afghanistan.
Fields Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan,
2003, ©Luke Powell, 2005.
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Afghanistan’s location at the crossroads
of great civilizations in history has created a stunning diversity
in food, arts, languages, and traditions. This diversity is
demonstrated in each city of Afghanistan.
Kabul
In Afghan folklore it is said that “everything
comes to Kabul,” Nothing could be truer of Afghanistan’s
bustling capital city. Proud of its heritage as a major trading
city between the East and West, today it is still the central
marketplace for all Afghanistan. Although change with tall modern
buildings and busy traffic has come rapidly to Kabul, the bazaars
and other landmarks of the old city are still the center of
life.
Baghi Balah, (Upper Garden), which is located
inside Kabul on top of the hill and behind the Intercontinental
Hotel, is the place where people go for sightseeing and swimming.
From this hill, Kabul city is clearly visible. Qargha is another
nice place for a sightseeing which is a 35 minute drive from
center of the city. Qargha offers canoeing, biking and hiking
facilities. There are many hostels and Chai khanas (tea houses)
around for families and people to go in a group.
The best time for visiting must-sees places in
Kabul is Friday because it is the weekend in Afghanistan. Places
to visit in Kabul include:
• TV Tower Hill
• Darulaman Palace
• Kabul Museum
• King Nadir Shah’s Tomb
• Money Market
• Chicken Street
• Kabul Zoo
• Shamali
• Istalif, 50 minutes drive out of Kabul
• Paghman, is a valley 25km west of Kabul.
Country Life, A Major Characteristic of Afghanistan
Since 80% of Afghanistan’s economy is agrarian,
rural life is still the center of the country’s socio-economic
activities. Even as Afghan agriculture has been improved with
modern technology, one gets the feeling that the land and the
people who work it are still in perfect harmony.
Mazar Sharif - Balkh
Every year thousands of pilgrims come to Marzar Sharif to pay
homage to the Shrine of Ali, the Fourth Caliph of Islam. Festivities
are held on Now Ruz, the Afghan New Year, observed on March
21st - the beginning of spring. Mazare is also a major
market place for karakul and traditional Afghan carpets.
Balkh
Referred to by the ancients as the “Mother of Cities,”
today it is a small town near Mazare that is overshadowed by
memories of past glory. Here, Zoroaster first preached, and
it was at or near Balkh that Alexandra made this headquarters
for two years. The city was also the capital of the Bactrian
Empire. Later the Timurid dynasty built a college and an impressive
shrine at Balkh. Nearby stand the remains of one of the oldest
mosques of the Islamic world, the Masjide Haji Piyada.
Herat
Few cities have as diverse a past as Herat. Within Heart’s
city walls Alexander built a mighty fortress; today a citadel,
although altered many times, still stands on the same spot.
In the centuries that followed, Herat was the pivot around which
cultural influence from Iran, Central Asia, and Afghanistan
converged. Ghenghis Khan and Tamerlane each wreaked havoc upon
the city, but Herat persevered to live a period of unequaled
splendor during the reign of the Timurid Kings.
Today, Herat’s minarets, mosques, shrines,
and monuments testify to the glory of that period, when art,
literature, and refinement attained high degrees of perfection.
Kandahar
The birthplace of modern Afghanistan, Kandahar is thriving commercial
and industrial center. Excepting its modern share Nau (New City),
Kandahar still remains substantially unchanged from the city
that Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founder of the state of Afghanistan,
built two hundred years ago. It is famous for its fruits and
intricate embroidery work.
Ghazni
Although today it appears to be only a small town, Ghazni was
once the capital of the powerful Ghaznavid Empire, which stretched
from Persia to India. Two star-shaped minarets, a palace, a
mausoleum, and a museum only suggest the glory of Ghazni’s
past.
Chai-Khana
The most typical characteristic of Afghan society are the Chai
Khanas, or tea houses, which abound everywhere in the country.
Often beautifully decorated, the Chai Khanas are the central
gathering place for every town and village in Afghanistan. In
them, one can enjoy a nourishing Afghan meal, such as palaw,
chalaw, kabab, a pot of green or black tea, and just sit and
relax in the exotic atmosphere.
Nouristan
The people of this remote region, once called Kafirs, or unbelievers,
were converted to Islam only 70 years ago. Now called Nouristanis
- “People of Light” - they are still
unique in all Afghanistan. In legend, the people of Nouristan
claim the Greek god Dionysus as their patron.
Bande Amir
Without fail, visitors to Afghanistan have marveled at the country’s
natural beauty. The formidable Hindu Kush, the vast expanse
of the Turkestan plains, and the seclusion of the Southern desert
have impressed travelers from Alexander the Great to Marco Polo.
In fact, it is the raw, unspoiled natural beauty that forms
the visitor’s first and most enduring impression of the
country. But of all the natural wonders of Afghanistan, the
lakes of Bande Amir are perhaps the most outstanding. Situated
in the mountainous Hazarajat at an altitude of almost 3000m.,
and 75 km from Bamiyan, these majestic blue lakes are of legendary
beauty.
Bamiyan
Seven hours by car and one hour by plane from
Kabul, this beautiful valley is undoubtedly one of Afghanistan’s
foremost attractions. There are also extensive ruins of ancient
towns and fortresses - one being the Red City -
which flourished until the onslaught of Ghenghis Khan in the
thirteenth century.
Map
Follow this link to an interactive map:
http://www.intercontinentalkabul.com/
Local%20guide.htm
