Afghanistan Travel Guide - Charming Natural Beauty
Afghanistan Travel Guide - Charming Natural BeautyAfghanistan is a landlocked country between Near East and Indoasia and is at the heart of Asia, traditionally part of the Greater Middle East region, it is bordered by Pakistan to the south and east, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to the north. There is a short border with China to the far northeast, but in extremely inaccessible terrain.
Afghanistan has been the centre of many powerful empires for the past 2,000 years. However, in the last 30 years the country has been in chaos due to major wars -- from the Soviet invasion of 1979 to their withdrawal in 1989 and from warlordism to the removal of the Taliban in 2001 and the ensuing American and NATO invasion. Economically, Afghanistan is considered poor compared to many other nations of the world. The country is currently going through a nation-wide rebuilding process.
Temperatures in the central highlands are below freezing for most of the winter, and snow is common at higher elevations. Summertime highs in lower elevations (such as Jalalabad or Mazar-e Sharif) can exceed 50°C/120°F. In higher areas such as Kabul, summer temperatures can be 30°C/90°F and winter around 0°C/30°F. The most pleasant weather in Kabul is during April, May and September.
Mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest. The Hindu Kush mountains run northeast to southwest, dividing the northern provinces from the rest of the country, with the highest peaks found in the northern Wakhan Corridor. South of Kandahar is desert. Kandahar is beautiful in many places.
Cities & destinations of Afghanistan :
Kabul - in the east, the capital city
Balkh - an ancient city in the north, its history still palpable
Bamiyan - The remains of the Buddhas. Once considered one of the wonders of the world, these tall stone carvings were destroyed by the Taliban in a notorious act of cultural vandalism...
Ghazni - in the south-east, between Kabul and Kandahar
Herat - in the west, gateway to Iran, has a strong Persian influence and several interesting historical sites
Jalalabad - in the east, between Kabul and the Khyber Pass
Kandahar - a Taliban-influenced southern city, not safe for travel at this time , Claim as oldest continuously inhabited city in the world , ancient name is mundigak (3000 B.C)
Kunduz - A major city in the northeast, and crossing point to Tajikistan
Mazar-e Sharif - home to the impressively tiled Blue Mosque, and the staging point for trips into Uzbekistan
Puli Khumri - an ancient city in the heart of Afghanistan
Band-e Amir National Park - 5 stunningly turquoise lakes in a remote and beautiful setting, not far from Bamiyan.
The Khyber Pass is the Gateway to Pakistan, an historic route of invasion and trade.
The Minaret of Jam is well off the beaten path but some say worth the journey - possible as a roundtrip from Herat or when traversing the Central Route from Herat to Kabul.
Panjshir Valley - a beautiful trekking area, leading to the famous Anjuman Pass.
The Salang Pass is a high mountain pass and tunnel linking Kabul to the north.
Shamali Plain north of Kabul. Shamali, meaning 'windy' or 'northern,' is a green plain which produced a lot of the food for central Afghanistan. From Kabul it extends north through Charikar, Parwan province to Jabal os Saraj. The Taliban destroyed the irrigation systems and it is only just beginning to recover.
Gardez - a beautiful major town in a mountain valley southeast of Kabul.
A lot to see in Afghanistan such as :
Minaret of Jam
Band-e Amir National Park
Buddhas of Bamyan
Gardens of Babur
Noshaq
National Museum of Afghanistan
Great Mosque of Herat
Blue Mosque
Broghil Pass
Takur Ghar
Darul Aman Palace
Wakhjir Pass
Band-e Amir
Hadda, Afghanistan
Korangal Valley
Eidgah Great Mosque
Tarnak Farms
Qale'H-Ye-Balahissar
Pul-e Khishti Mosque
Tajbik palace
Herat Citadel
ArgKōsisā
Salang Pass
Shigal
Kêzīr
Kabul Zoo
Lunkho e Dosare
Shibar Pass
Showtalō Sar
Khawak Pass
Khost-Gardez Pass
Qargha Reservoir
Takht-e-Safar Park
Lataband Pass
Massoud Circle
Peiwar Pass
Kuh-e Bandaka
Afghanistan is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting Afghanistan . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Afghanistan
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