Herat

Herat province occupies the north-west corner of Afghanistan. It borders Iran to the west and Turkmenistan to the north, with Badghis to the north-east, Ghor to the east and Farah to the south. Its centre of gravity is the valley of the Hari Rud, which flows west out of the central highlands, waters the broad plain around Herat city and then turns north along the Iranian frontier towards Turkmenistan. The province is one of the most populous in the country and has long been a crossroads between Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia. Its capital, Herat, is one of the oldest cities in the region, but much of the province's character lies outside it: irrigated villages with vineyards and orchards, saffron fields, the steppe and low hills of the north, and the mountains of the east, where the Hari Rud runs through narrow valleys towards Ghor. Visitors usually come for the monuments of Herat city and then travel out to places such as Chesht-e Sharif, the small upland town that gave its name to the Chishti order of Sufis, and the Salma Dam on the upper Hari Rud. The border towns of Islam Qala and Torghundi are busy trade crossings, and the main highway south links the province with Farah, Helmand and Kandahar.

The Herat region corresponds to ancient Aria, known in Old Persian inscriptions as Haraiva, a province of the Achaemenid empire. Alexander the Great passed through in the 4th century BCE, and the area later came under the Parthians and the Sasanians, among others. Arab armies arrived in the 7th century, and the region then formed part of greater Khurasan under a succession of dynasties, from the Samanids to the Ghurids. From around the 10th century the town of Chesht, in the upper Hari Rud valley, was home to the Sufi masters who gave the Chishti order its name. The Mongol invasions of the early 13th century caused great destruction, and recovery came under local rulers and then the Timurids, who made Herat a capital of art and learning in the 15th century. In the 18th century the region became part of the Durrani state. Persian forces besieged Herat more than once in the 19th century before the province was firmly incorporated into Afghanistan.

Dari is the main language of the province, spoken with a distinctive Herati accent, and Pashto is widely spoken in several districts, particularly in the south. The population is overwhelmingly Muslim, and Sufi traditions run deep: the shrines of Chesht-e Sharif and the many smaller shrines in the valley villages draw pilgrims, especially on Thursday evenings, Fridays and religious holidays. Nowruz, the new year at the spring equinox around 21 March, is widely celebrated with family picnics, visits to shrines and dishes such as samanak, a sweet pudding of sprouted wheat cooked through the night. The region has a long musical tradition, and the dutar, a long-necked lute, is closely associated with Herati folk music. Poetry is widely loved, and the names of the medieval poets and mystics of Herat are familiar in villages as well as in the city. Weddings and Eid celebrations are large family occasions, and generous hospitality to guests is an important part of daily life.

The Hari Rud is the province's lifeline. Rising in the central highlands, it enters Herat through the mountains of the east, where it runs between long ranges that stretch from east to west, and then opens into a wide plain covered with canals, fields, vineyards and orchards. West of Herat city it turns north to form part of the border with Iran. North of the valley the land rises into dry hills and steppe that turn green briefly in spring, with stands of wild pistachio towards Badghis. The south and west are flatter and drier, shading into semi-desert towards Farah and the Iranian border. The reservoir of the Salma Dam, completed in 2016, has created a long lake in the hills of Chesht-e Sharif district. Summer brings the strong northerly wind known as the wind of 120 days, which blows dust across the plain but also brings some relief from the heat.

Herat is the centre of Afghan saffron growing. The purple crocus flowers are picked by hand in late autumn in many districts of the province, and the dried threads colour and scent rice dishes and sweets throughout the region. The province also grows grapes in many varieties, much of them dried as raisins, along with melons, pomegranates and pistachios from the northern hills. Village cooking is built on wheat bread from the tandoor, yoghurt, dugh (a salted yoghurt drink), dishes of lentils and beans, and lamb. Qabuli palaw, rice with carrots, raisins and lamb, is the dish of celebrations, and kebab is everyday fare on market days. Shola, a soft, sticky rice dish, and sweet rice coloured with saffron are prepared for religious occasions and family gatherings.

The Herat region has a long reputation for carpet weaving. Rugs in Herati and Baluch styles are woven in homes across the province, often by women working on upright looms, and are sold in the carpet bazaars of the city. Flat-woven kilims and woven saddlebags are made in villages as well. Silk is still raised and woven in parts of the province, and Herati silk scarves and cloth are known across the country. Hand-blown glass, embroidery, and the glazed tiles made for the repair of historic buildings are mainly city crafts, but their materials and makers often come from the villages around. Saffron, carefully packed in small boxes, has become one of the province's best-known products for visitors to carry home.

Spring, from March to May, is the most comfortable season: the valley is green, orchards blossom in March and April, and Nowruz brings picnics and celebrations. Summers, from June to August, are hot and dry, often above 35°C in the lowlands, and the wind of 120 days carries dust across the plain from about late May to September. Autumn, from late September to November, is mild and clear. It is grape season, and the saffron harvest comes at its end, usually in late October and November. Winters are cool to cold, with frosty nights and occasional snow in the valley. Snow is heavier in the eastern mountains, where the roads towards Chesht-e Sharif and Ghor can be closed or difficult between December and March.

From Kabul, the main road route is the southern highway through Kandahar, about 1,040 km in all and usually two long days of driving; the stretch from Kandahar to Herat, about 560 km, passes through Helmand and Farah. A rougher central route through Bamyan and Ghor follows the Hari Rud valley in its last stretch and is practical only in summer. To the north-east, a road runs through Badghis and Faryab towards Mazar-e Sharif, with long unpaved sections. Herat's airport (HEA), south of the city, has been served by domestic flights from Kabul and other cities, and by some international flights. The main border crossings are at Islam Qala, on the road west to Mashhad in Iran, and at Torghundi, on the border with Turkmenistan to the north. Road conditions and local circumstances change, so travellers should check current conditions before setting out.

Almost all of the province's hotels are in Herat city, which has the widest range of accommodation in western Afghanistan, from larger hotels to small guesthouses. Most visitors base themselves there and make day trips into the valley. Outside the city, choices are few and basic. Border and highway towns have small hotels and rooms above shops or eating houses, used mainly by traders and drivers, and roadside restaurants on the highways may offer a carpet to sleep on in a shared room. In the eastern mountains towards Chesht-e Sharif and Obe, travellers generally stay with local families or in simple guest rooms, arranged in advance through local contacts.

Shared taxis, usually saloon cars that leave when every seat is taken, connect Herat city with the district centres and border towns, departing from stands on the side of the city that faces each route. Minibuses and larger buses serve the main roads, and pickup trucks carry people and goods on smaller tracks. In district towns, motor rickshaws, known as zaranj, and motorbikes are common for short trips. For sites off the main roads, such as Chesht-e Sharif or the villages of the upper Hari Rud, most visitors hire a private car with a driver for the day. In the highest villages, donkeys and horses are still used to move people and loads along paths that vehicles cannot reach.