Baghlan

This time ATIS hopes to provide you with an introduction to one of the important agricultural and industrial provinces in Afghanistan. Baghlan Province is located 230 km from Kabul along the Kabul—Marzar-i-Sharif Highway. It is considered as one of the key provinces in Afghanistan, because it connects 8 northern provinces to central Afghanistan and particularly Kabul. Marvelous images from Baghlan Province Baghlan Province shares border with Kunduz on the north, Takhar on the northeast, Panjshir on the west and southwest, Parwan on the east, Bamiyan on southeast and Samangan on the east. Also, Northern Salang is within the territory of Baghlan Province and Southern Salang is within the territory of Parwan Province separating the two provinces. In the past, Kushan Empire ruled Baghlan region. Also, the remaining of a Zoroastrian fire temple called "Surkh Kotal" is located in Baghlan Province. Different Tajik, Hazara, Pashtun and Uzbek ethnic group comprise the population in this province. Figures show that 80% of the people in Baghlan live in villages, while 20% of the population live in urban areas. Restaurant billboards, Baghlan Province Hindukush Mountain Range, Baghlan Province Baghlan Province Salang-Baghlan Road Beauties of Mazar-i-Sharif-Baghlan Road Amazing landscapes, Baghlan Province Salang-Baghlan Road Another view of Salang-Baghlan Road People in Baghlan Province Salang-Baghlan Highway Salang-Baghlan Road in winter A lovely river in Baghlan Province Looking for water Baghlan Districts 1 – Pul-i-Khumri City: Baghlan Province is a northern province and its capital is Pul-i-Khumri City. The province lies on the Kabul-North Highway and is the interception of new Mazar-i-Sharif, Kunduz and Kabul road. With the existence of textile, cement and coal factories, the city has maintained its industrial look and its bazar (Mandawi) is very famous. The bazar in Baghlan is divided into two parts, there are cereals and fruit shops in central and western part and in eastern part you can find business markets, sewers and printing offices. The wonderful nature of Pul-i-Khumri Pul-i-Khumri after the rain Another view of Pul-i-Khumri Pul-i-Khumri Power station on the northeast of Pul-i-Khumri 2 – Doshi District: Doshti district is located 50 km to the south of the capital city of Pul-i-Khumri. Wheat and rice are among the most important harvests in this district. In addition, the existence of the gold mine in the region of Askart Valley has added to the importance of this district. The delightful nature of Doshi District Marvels of Doshi District Wheat and rice are among the most important harvests in the district 3 – Khinjan District: Khinjan District is located 72 km to the capital city of Pul-i-Khumri. Residents in Khinjan District are busy in occupations such as agriculture, livestock and gardening. In addition, it is impossible not to have heard about Khinjan raspberries, they are very famous across the country. Khinjan District is a key district in Baghlan Province because it shares border with Salang District in Parwan Province and connects Kabul to 8 northern and northeastern provinces. Moreover, Northern Salang is located in Khinjan District. Northern Salang Road, Khinjan District, Baghlan Province Khinjan District is situated 72 km to Pul-i-Khumri City Khinjan District is a key district in Baghlan Province The beautiful nature of Khinjan District The amazing nature of Khinjan District, Baghlan Province Another view of Khinjan District 4 – Andarabha District: Andarabha is a vast area in northern Baghlan province and encompasses Deh Salah, Bano and Pul-i-Hisar districts. Andarab Bazar Beautiful nature of Andarabha District Another view of Andarabha District Andarabha District, Baghlan Province Kashan Abad, Andarabha District Andarabha District 5 – Deh Salah District: Deh Salah District is positioned 117 km away from Pul-i-Khumri City. The products of the district include rice, wheat and fresh fruits such as apple, plum and peach that are exported to other provinces. Deh Salah District Brata Village, Deh Salah District 6 – Banou District: Banou District is situated 108 km from the capital city of Pul-i-Khumri. Residents of this district are associated with gardening, livestock and agriculture. The Alogak coal mine is located in Banou District. 7 – Pul-i-Hisar District: Pul-i-Hesar District is one of the remote districts in Baghlan Brovince, located 125 km away from Pul-i-Khumri City. 8 – Nahrin District: Nahrin district is located 75 km to the northeast of Pul-i-Khumri City. Its people are farmers and herders. Also, the Chinarak Coal Mine is situated in this district. A mosque in Nahrin District Mountains, Nahrin District 9 – Talla Wa Barfak District: Talla Wa Barfak District is among remote districts in Baghlan Province which is located 123 km to the southwest of Pul-i-Khumri City. The people in this district are farmers and herders. Also, there are two coal mines in this district, one situated in Talla region and the second in Barfak region. The district shares border with Saighan District in Bamyan Province. Some of the people in Talla Wa Barfak District rely economically on the extraction and selling of coal. 10 – Dahn-i-Ghori District: Dahna-i-Ghori District is positioned 27 km to the northwest of Pul-i-Khumri City and shares border with Samangan Province. Residents of the district are farmers and dependent on agricultural products. The magnificent nature of Dahn-i-Ghori District Dahna-i-Ghori District is situated at a distance of 27 km to Pul-i-Khumri City Dahna-i-Ghori District shares border with Samangan Province 11 - Baghlan-i-Markazi District: Baghlan-i-Markazi District is one of the central, industrial and populated districts in Baghlan Province. It is situated 43 km to the northeast of Pul-i-Khumri City. Also, the existence of sugar factory has added to its economic significance. 12 – Barka District: Barka District is located 85 km to the center of Baghlan Province; the economy of majority people in the district relies on agriculture and livestock. Barka District is located at a distance of 85 km from Pul-i-Khumri City 13 – Jalga District Jalga District is situated 93 km from the Pul-i-Khumri City. Residents of this district are herders and farmers and depend on their products. Jalga District is positioned 93 km from the Pul-i-Khumri City 14 – Khost District: Khost District is located 136 km from the Pul-i-Khumri City. The economy of people in this district depends on agriculture and livestock. 15 – Farang District: Farang District is situated 150 km to the northeast of Pul-i-Khumri City and shares border with Farkhar District in Takhar province. It is a mountainous region and the people in this district rely on livestock for their lives. 16 – Guzargah-i-Noor District: Guzargah-i-Noor District is 159 km to the central Baghlan and majority of the residents are herders. The Agricultural and Industrial Products in Baghlan Province Major agricultural products in this province include wheat, cotton, pistachio, melon and fruits such as mulberry, peach, apple and etc. Baghlan Province has rich natural resources such as coal, chalk and cement. Also, the existence of production factories such as textile plants, power stations and other industrial facilities has added to the significance of the province. Natural Tourist Attractions Cheshma-e-Shifa is one of the most attractive natural regions in Baghlan Province. This bathroom has initially been constructed in 8 rooms next to each other (4 for men, 4 for women). The bathrooms are equipped with few necessary instruments. The water used in this bathroom flows through the cement mine mountain. Local people and users of the bathroom call it Cheshma-e-Shifa and believe it heals skin diseases. At the corner of this bathroom there is an entertainment park which is visited by people from within and outside the province. Cheshma-e-Shifa in northern part of Pul-i-Khumri City, Baghlan Province Historical Locations The cultural and ancient identity of the land is truly manifested taking into account the historical background of Baghlan Province and its ancient treasures. Baghlan is the interception of northern and northeastern regions with central regions. It is the heritor of greatest religions before Islam including Buddhism, Zoroastrian and Brahmani which date back to 5000 B.C.; some of the memorable heritages from these eras in Baghlan Province include Tape Surkh Kotal, Chin Qala, Shamarq and Charshanba Tipa along the Silk Road. Relics obtained from these locations suggest that they date back to Kanishka the Great and Kushan Empire eras. Kushan Empire (Buddhist) lasted through second century to the fifth century. Also, engraved relics were found on the walls of a mountain located in the mountain range on the south of Pul-i-Khumri City in Baghlan Province, 15 km from the "Shamarq" village. These engraved relics display a caravan including camels, elephants, horses and human.

Baghlan lies in the old Bactrian heartland, and it is best known archaeologically for the Kushan period. At Surkh Kotal, near Puli Khumri, French archaeologists in the 1950s excavated a great hilltop temple built in the time of the Kushan king Kanishka, approached by monumental stairways, and found an inscription in the Bactrian language written in Greek script. In 1993 another inscription, found at Rabatak nearby, listed the line of Kushan kings and became one of the key documents for dating the dynasty. In the medieval period the Surkhab and Andarab valleys were routes over the Hindu Kush, and Andarab was known to early Islamic geographers for its silver mines. Later the area formed part of the Uzbek-ruled territory of Qataghan before it came under the Afghan state in the 19th century. In the 20th century Baghlan developed as an industrial centre, and it became a separate province in 1964, when Qataghan was divided. The province was affected by fighting in the conflicts of recent decades.

Baghlan is home to many communities, and Dari, Pashto and Uzbek are all widely spoken, with many people using more than one; Dari predominates in the mountain districts such as Andarab and Khost wa Fereng. Most people are Sunni Muslims, and there are also Ismaili communities, notably around Doshi and the Kayan valley, as well as Shia communities in some districts. Buzkashi is a major winter sport, with large matches in Puli Khumri, Baghlan town and the surrounding districts, especially around Nowruz. The mountain valleys, Andarab above all, are known for dambura music and sung poetry, heard at weddings and gatherings. Nowruz and the harvest are celebrated with family gatherings and outings, and local shrines draw visitors on holidays.

Baghlan stretches from the high Hindu Kush to the lowland plains near Kunduz. In the south and east, the Salang, Andarab and Khost wa Fereng valleys are deep, steep and green in summer, with villages among walnut and mulberry trees, irrigated terraces, and pastures and snowfields above; peaks along the southern border rise well above 4,000 metres. The central valley of the Kunduz River opens out around Puli Khumri and Baghlan town into a broad, fertile plain of rice paddies, wheat and sugar beet fields, orchards and poplar groves. To the west, dry hills and plateaus lead towards Samangan, and the upper Surkhab valley and Tala wa Barfak in the south-west are rugged and sparsely populated. The name Surkhab means 'red water'. Winters are snowy in the mountains, and avalanches can affect the Salang road; spring snowmelt fills the rivers.

Baghlan's food is the hearty fare of the north. Rice from the irrigated plains around Baghlan town is used for qabuli palaw and Uzbek-style palaw, and bread from clay ovens accompanies every meal. Kebab, mantu, ashak, shorwa and bolani are standard in the bazaars, and roadside eating houses along the highway serve travellers at all hours. The mountain districts are known for walnuts, mulberries, apples and other fruit, much of it dried for winter, and for dairy products such as yoghurt, qurut and butter from the summer pastures. In summer, melons and grapes from the plains fill the markets, and honey from the mountain valleys is sold in the bazaars.

Baghlan is known more for industry and farming than for fine crafts, but its bazaars sell the work of the surrounding valleys. Women in the villages embroider caps, cushion covers and dresses, and some families in the plains districts weave carpets and kilims for sale. In the mountain districts, wool from local flocks is spun and knitted into thick socks, gloves and sweaters, and felt and woven blankets are made for the cold months. Tailors in Puli Khumri and Baghlan town make chapans and traditional clothes to order, and blacksmiths turn out tools and knives. The bazaars also carry a large stock of manufactured goods, reflecting the province's position on the main trade road between Kabul and the north.

The best times for Baghlan are late spring, from April to June, and early autumn, in September and October. In spring the valleys are green and the orchards in blossom, and Nowruz brings buzkashi and outdoor gatherings; in autumn the walnut, fruit and rice harvests come in and the poplars of the mountain valleys turn yellow. Summer is hot in the lower valleys around Puli Khumri and Baghlan town, but the mountain districts, Andarab and Khost wa Fereng among them, are cooler and best for walking from June to September. Winter brings heavy snow to the Hindu Kush, and the Salang Pass, the main road link with Kabul, can be closed for hours or days by snowstorms and avalanches between December and March. The lower valleys are cold, with frost and occasional snow.

The main road from Kabul runs north through Charikar in Parwan, climbs to the Salang Pass and its tunnel, and descends through Khinjan and Doshi to Puli Khumri, a journey of about 220 km that usually takes four to five hours, longer when the pass is busy or snowbound. At Puli Khumri the highway divides: one branch continues north through Baghlan town to Kunduz, about two hours away, and the other runs west through Samangan to Mazar-i Sharif. From Doshi, a road leads east up the Andarab valley; from its head, the Khawak Pass leads over to Panjshir, a high and seasonal route. There is no airport in the province, and travellers arrive by road. Road conditions and local circumstances change, so travellers should check current conditions before setting out.

Puli Khumri has most of the province's accommodation, with hotels and guesthouses used by traders, officials and travellers breaking the journey between Kabul and the north. Baghlan town has a few basic options of its own. Along the highway, especially on the approaches to the Salang, roadside hotels and tea houses offer meals and simple rooms or floor space for drivers and passengers, particularly when the pass is closed. In the mountain districts such as Andarab and Khost wa Fereng, there are few or no guesthouses; visitors are usually hosted by local families, and arrangements are best made through personal contacts. Outside the two main towns, options are basic and few.

The highway is busy with shared taxis, minibuses and buses running between Kabul, Puli Khumri, Kunduz and Mazar-i Sharif, and shared vehicles link the capital with the district centres, leaving when full. In Puli Khumri and Baghlan town, zaranj rickshaws and taxis cover short distances. For the mountain valleys, hiring a car with a local driver, preferably with four-wheel drive, is the practical choice, especially outside summer. Side roads into Andarab, Khost wa Fereng and Tala wa Barfak are narrow and can be closed by snow or landslides. In the high villages, donkeys and horses are still used to reach fields and pastures, and many paths can only be walked.