The Florence of Afghanistan

18 Aug 2010 | no comments » Herat, historical

The famous minarets—ancient prayer towers that wobble about five stories up into the sky. They are crumbling, but still have bits of the original bright blue lapis tiles on the sides. The Fifth Minaret — all 55 meters of it — from 12 century –  seems ready to collapse into a dusty heap of bricks and colored tiles at any moment.  The Minaret of Jam is unique in the world, and you know now it is described on the list of World Heritage Sites. Herat in the past was the first city for the very highest expression of architecture. And not only from an architectural point of view but also from all the other expressions of Islamic art, like calligraphy, mosaics, and poetry. It’s been described as the Florence of Afghanistan.

Citadel of Herat

18 Feb 2010 | no comments » Herat, historical

This citadel, which has been suggested as another possible site for Alexander’s fort, is known today as the Citadel of Herat or Qal’a-ye Ikhtiyar al-Din. The name Ikhtiyar al-Din, which refers to both the eastern and western enclosures, is thought to be the name or epithet of a Kartid amir or military commander. Destroyed a second time by Timur’s army (1380), Qal’a-ye Ikhtiyar al-Din was rebuilt after Shah Rukh (reg. 1405-1444) moved his capital to Herat and began a building campaign. He reinforced the citadel in stone and fired brick and covered its exterior with glazed tiles.