Things to do in Herat & Northwestern Afghanistan
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Friday Mosque
Over 800 hundred years old, Herat’s Friday Mosque is Afghanistan’s finest Islamic building, and one of the greatest in Central Asia. A master class in the art of tile mosaic, its bright colours and intricate detailing are an exuberant hymn in praise of Allah. Most visitors enter the mosque via the park on its eastern side, which leads up to a huge and richly tiled façade. The entrance corridors are to either side of this, but they are frequently locked outside the main prayer hours, forcing visitors to gain access to the mosque proper via the small street entrance on its northern wall. This is actually a more atmospheric choice, as the cool dark of the entrance corri…
reviewed
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Old City
Herat's Old City, measuring approximately 1200 metres square, is the most complete traditional medieval city in Afghanistan. Four main streets branch out from the bazaar of Chahar Su (literally 'four directions'), quartering the city and leading to the old gates that once pierced the city walls (they were pulled down in the 1950s). Characteristic of medieval urban design, the Old City has three foci - the commercial centre (Chahar Su), the Royal Centre (the Citadel) and the Religious Centre (The Friday Mosque).
The four main roads leading from Chahar Su are lined with booths and shops. Until the 1930s, these roads were covered, with Chahar Su itself crowned with a large d…
reviewed
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Gazar Gah
This shrine is one of Afghanistan's holiest sites, dedicated to the 11th-century saint and poet Khoja Abdullah Ansari. Run by Sufis from the Qadirriyah order, it receives hundred of pilgrims from across Afghanistan daily; Gazar Gah's name means 'the Bleaching Ground', a Sufi allusion to cleansing of one's soul before Allah.
The shrine is the most complete Timurid building in Herat and is dominated by its 30m high entrance portal, decorated with restraint with blue tiles on plain brick. More tiling fills the inside, much of it showing a distinctly Chinese influence - possibly a by-product of the embassies that Shah Rukh (who commissioned the shrine in 1425) exchanged with …
reviewed
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Musalla Complex & Minarets
The wife of Shah Rukh, Gowhar Shad, was one of the most remarkable women in Afghanistan's history. She was a great patron of the arts and commissioned some of Islam's finest buildings, including Herat's Musalla Complex and the Great Mosque in Mashhad (Iran). She also played an active part in politics. Herat's Musalla Complex & Minarets was her masterpiece, comprising a mosque, madrassa, mausoleum and over twenty minarets. At its height, it rivalled any of the great showpieces of Islamic architecture from Samarkand to Esfahan. Today, only five minarets and Gowhar Shad's mausoleum remain. The loss of the rest is a testament to the sorrier type of imperial meddling in Afghan…
reviewed
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Herat Citadel
Towering over the Old City, the Herat Citadel has watched over Herat’s successes and setbacks with its imposing gaze for centuries. The oldest building in Herat, it is believed to stand on the foundations of a fort built by Alexander the Great. It has served as a seat of power, military garrison and prison since its construction until 2005, when the Afghan army presented it to the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, opening its doors to outsiders for the first time. The Citadel is built on an artificial mound and stretches 250m east to west. Its 18 towers rise over 30m above street level, with walls 2m thick. A moat once completed the defences, although this …
reviewed
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Jami's Tomb
Mawlana Abdur Rahman Jami was Herat’s greatest poet and one of the greatest Sufi poets who wrote in Persian. He was a regular at the court of Sultan Baiqara, where he composed many treatises on the soul’s meditation of the divine. He died in 1492 and is still revered by modern Heratis, who can often quote from his greatest work, HaftAwrang (Seven Thrones), and regularly visit his grave (Sarakh-e Tanki Mawlawi; donation welcome, sunrise-sunset). The tomb is a quiet and contemplative place, inside a modest enclosure under a pistachio tree, with a finely carved headstone. A large pole is hung with green banners and has had many nails hammered into it as prayer offerings. The…
reviewed
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Mausoleum of Gowhar Shad
The Mausoleum of Gowhar Shad sits in a small park, currently undergoing extensive replanting. It’s a textbook example of Timurid architecture, with its square box topped with a high drum and ribbed melon dome, albeit one largely denuded of its turquoise tiling. The door to Gowhar Shad’s tombstone is normally locked, but the chowkidar (caretaker) can unlock it for you. The inside dome is beautifully painted in blue and rust-red. Shah Rukh was also originally buried here, until Ulughbek removed his body to Samarkand. Also inside are the broken remains of the mosaic that covered the exterior, mostly knocked off by Soviet shelling. The building next door holds the tomb of Mir…
reviewed
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Takht-e Safar
Spread across a hill 5km north of Herat, Takht-e Safar is a popular place for picnics. Built as a pleasure garden for Sultan Baiqara in the 14th century, it's an oasis of green, with good views to the city. It's a popular place for picnics and to catch the sunset (when cars full of wedding parties often descend on the scene).
At the bottom of the hill is a small theme park, complete with rides and a giant concrete pigeon. As you go up the hill, you pass a large swimming pool, popular with males of the species in the summer months. There's a small café offering drinks and ice cream. Further up the hill is a wedding club, backed by a large mural of Ismail Khan with Ahmad Sh…
reviewed
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Shahzada Abdullah
Two shrines sit on the main road just south of the Musalla Complex. Built in the late 15th century, they contain the tombs of two princes, Abdullah and Qasim, who died in the 8th century. Abdullah's tomb is the one nearer the road. The exteriors are plain fired brick with ogee portal arches, while the interiors are richly decorated with tiling - probably the best surviving tilework from medieval Herat. The deep reds and blues of the painted domed ceilings complement the tiles.
Even a couple of years ago, the tombs were clearly visible from the road, but they have now been largely obscured by Herat's construction boom. The tombs' guardians, who also tend the many pigeons o…
reviewed
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Sultan Hamidy
Herat is famous for its blue glass, handmade in a rough and chunky style. If you're lucky enough for it to survive Afghanistan's roads, it makes a great souvenir. Sultan Hamidy (or Ahmad) and his family have been making Herati glass for generations. The tiny factory is two doors down from the shop, with glass-blowing every couple of days. The shop itself is an Aladdin’s Cave, with everything from glass and metalwork to rugs, beads and embroidery, all displayed as an anarchic explosion of stock. Prepare to spend hours looking for antiques, both old and new.
reviewed
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Pul-e Malan
This fine old 22-arched bridge is a few kilometres south of the city, visible from the road when driving from the airport. Believed to have been constructed by the Seljuks in the early 12th century, it has survived the floods that have washed away countless other bridges on the Hari Rud. According to legend, two sisters, Bibi Nur and Bibi Hur, collected egg shells to mix with the clay of the bricks, making the structure stronger than steel. It's no longer used for motor traffic, but is worth a visit for its picturesque setting.
reviewed
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Zarnegar Khana
The Zarnegar Khana was built during Sultan Baiqara's time, it is a retreat for the shrine's Sufi adherents, who hold their zikr rituals inside. The interior has a fine domed ceiling, painted in blue and red, and picked out in gold leaf. The Zarnegar Khana was closed for restoration at the time of research. The grounds of the shrine also contain a second domed building, the Namakdan pavilion, and a cistern containing water from the holy Zam Zam spring at Mecca.
reviewed
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Carpet Merchants
One of the best places to buy carpets from the region is direct from the wholesale merchants who occupy this serai on Darb Khosh. Carpets and gilims festoon the balconies and courtyard, indicating that you’re in the right place. Herati carpets are usually deep red, although the merchants buy from across the west and northwest as well as eastern Iran – Baluchi styles are also sold in large numbers.
reviewed
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Turkestan Restaurant
Aside from the chaikhanas in the bazaar, Turkestan Restaurant is the only sit-down option for eating. The breeze-block architecture lends the place a certain awkward ambience, and although the menu promises a choice of dishes, you’ll end up with kebabs whatever you go for. Not signed in English, look for the glass kiosk outside with the brazier, next to the UNHCR compound.
reviewed
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Yas Restaurant
One of the few places we found in Herat serving mantu (a type of ravioli) , Yas also has a decent range of kebabs with rice, salad and yogurt. The pizzas are disappointing in comparison. The restaurant always seems to be busy – its success has allowed it to buy what could be Herat’s largest TV.
reviewed
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Arghawan Restaurant
Popular with middle-class Heratis and internationals alike, the attraction here isn’t so much the formal dining room as the outside seating area, strewn with bolsters to slump against for shade from the daytime. The set meals are excellent value, comprising soup, salad, bread, rice, kebabs, tea and a soft drink.
reviewed
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Khorram Brothers Store
In the small park by Chowk-e Gulha, this snack bar sells a few kebabs plus hot and cold drinks including, unusually, coffee. It’s almost worth visiting just for the fountain opposite – a concrete kitsch masterpiece of towering bears, goats and waterbirds.
reviewed
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Juice in 4 Fasl
Bright and shiny, this juice bar has wonderful juices and smoothies, from thick banana to tart pomegranate. There’s ice cream too, slathered with mango puree, and an upstairs seating area that’s perfect for watching Herat go about its business.
reviewed
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Brothers Mohabbat Gaznavi Restaurant
One of the better large kebab joints, busy at any time of day or night. It serves up an endless procession of kebabs, pulao and chai. Female travellers may find themselves directed upstairs to the family dining room.
reviewed
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Ice Cream Parlour
This is the best place for ice cream in the Old City. With its low ceiling, wall carpets and Bollywood posters, it’s a cosy place to tuck into a bowl of rosewater and pistachio ice cream. Afghan women eat here too.
reviewed
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Shahiste Restaurant
On the 1st floor of the Marco Polo Hotel, this restaurant offers good Iranian-style food. The menu often only has a couple of dishes, but makes up for this with generous plates of salad, pickled vegetables and yogurt.
reviewed
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Toos Restaurant
Good for those wanting a break from Afghan fare, this place does a good imitation of Western fast food. Tasty pizzas are eat-in or takeaway, along with a few interesting variations on the hamburger theme.
reviewed
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Kebab Sellers
Calling these places chaikhanas would be far too grand – there’s hardly room to sit down – but these hole-in-the-wall joints are perfect if you’re in need of a quick kebab.
reviewed
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Al Capon Restaurant
According to the sign, ‘Al Capon’ was a cowboy, but he rustles up a decent plate of rice and kebabs. Salads and a few Western-style fast-food items fill out the menu.
reviewed
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Supermarket
If you’re after imported goods, there’s a good supermarket near the Marco Polo Hotel. It even has its own shopping trolleys.
reviewed
