Gardez

Gardez is the capital of Paktia province and the main town of the south-eastern highlands. It lies at about 2,300 metres on a wide, open plain ringed by mountains, roughly 125 km south of Kabul, and its position at the junction of roads to Kabul, Khost, Ghazni and Paktika has long made it a crossroads for trade and travel. Above the town rises the Bala Hisar, an old fortress of thick mud-brick walls and towers on a hill, which has served as a garrison for much of its history. Below it, the town spreads out across the plain: a central bazaar of shops, workshops and tea houses, government buildings, mosques, schools, the campus of Paktia University and residential quarters of walled compounds. Gardez is a working provincial town rather than a tourist destination. Visitors come mainly on business or on their way to Khost and the eastern districts, but the town offers views of the fortress and the surrounding mountains, busy bazaars stocked with goods from across the south-east, and a sense of daily life in a Pashtun highland town. It is also the natural base for exploring Paktia's plains and forests.

Gardez is an old town whose origins are not precisely known. It stood on routes between Kabul, Ghazni and the Indus plains, and finds from the area, including sculpture of the pre-Islamic period, show that it was a place of importance long before Islam reached the region. In the Ghaznavid period it was a recognised town of the eastern lands, and the 11th-century historian Abu Said Gardizi, author of the Zayn al-Akhbar, one of the earliest histories written in Persian, took his name from it. Its fortress has been rebuilt many times over the centuries and was used as a stronghold by successive rulers. In the 20th century Gardez grew as the administrative centre of what was then a much larger Paktia province. Like the rest of the province, it has been affected by the conflicts of recent decades.

Pashto is the main language of Gardez, and Dari is widely spoken in the bazaar and offices. The town draws people from Paktia's many tribes and from neighbouring provinces, and the bazaar is a place where news, trade and family business meet. Religious life centres on the town's mosques, and Friday prayers and the two Eids are the high points of the week and the year. Weddings are celebrated with music and the attan, and Pashto poetry and song are heard at gatherings and on local radio. Paktia University and the town's schools give Gardez a sizeable student population, and cricket is very popular, with matches played on open ground around the town.

Gardez sits on an open plain of fields and dry pasture, framed by mountains that carry snow for much of the year. The fortress hill overlooks the whole plain, and beyond it the ranges lead east towards the forests and the Pakistani border. The plain is used for wheat, potatoes and fodder crops, watered by streams, wells and karez channels, and willows and poplars grow along the water courses. Summers are pleasantly mild at this altitude, while winters bring deep cold and snow. The forested mountains of eastern Paktia are within reach by road, offering a greener contrast to the dry plain around the town.

Gardez's restaurants and tea houses serve the dishes of the south-east: kebabs and chapli kebab cooked over charcoal, qabuli palaw, shorwa and plenty of fresh naan. Meat dishes dominate, and a visit to a family home usually means a generous meal of rice and meat. In the bazaar, chilgoza pine nuts from the eastern forests are sold roasted in autumn and winter, alongside walnuts, dried fruit and sweets. Dairy products such as yoghurt and doogh are sold fresh, and green tea is drunk throughout the day. In winter, landi, dried mutton, is sold in the bazaar and cooked in many homes.

Gardez's bazaar is a trading centre for the goods of the south-east rather than a craft centre in itself. Shops sell embroidered caps, waistcoats and women's clothing, woollen shawls and blankets, and the long shirts and loose trousers worn across the region, often made to order by local tailors. Carpentry workshops turn timber from the eastern districts into doors, window frames and furniture, and metalworkers make and repair tools, stoves and household items. Mazri palm mats, baskets and ropes, and leather sandals, are also widely sold. Factory-made goods from Kabul and Pakistan stand alongside these local products.

The most comfortable months in Gardez are April to June and September to October, when days are mild and sunny and nights cool. Spring brings green fields to the plain, and autumn brings fresh pine nuts to the bazaar. Summer is warm but rarely very hot at this altitude, though July and August may bring thunderstorms. Winter, from December to February, is cold, with snow on the plain and frosts that can be severe; roads out of town, particularly the mountain road to Khost, may be affected by snow. In the fasting month of Ramadan, the bazaar is quiet by day and busiest in the evening.

Gardez is about 125 km south of Kabul by the highway through Logar and Puli Alam, a drive of around two and a half to three hours. Shared taxis and minibuses run between the two cities through the day. From Gardez, a mountain road of roughly 100 km leads south-east to Khost, crossing a high pass; roads also run west to Ghazni and south into Paktika. The main roads meet near the bazaar, making the town an easy place to change vehicles. Road conditions and local circumstances change, so travellers should check current conditions before setting out.

Gardez has a handful of hotels and guesthouses, most of them near the bazaar and along the main roads into town. They are simple to modest in standard, used mainly by traders, officials and travellers on their way to Khost or Kabul. Meals are usually available on site or nearby. Heating matters in winter, so it is worth checking what is provided before taking a room, and families may find it helpful to arrange a stay in advance through local contacts. There are few options outside the centre of town.

Rickshaws and taxis are the main way to get around Gardez, and both can be found near the bazaar and along the main roads. The central bazaar is compact and easily explored on foot. Shared taxis and minibuses leave from stands near the road junctions for Kabul, Khost, Ghazni, Paktika and the districts, departing when full. Motorcycles are common. For trips into the surrounding countryside or the eastern forests, a hired car with a driver is the most practical choice.