Kandahar

Kandahar is the capital of Kandahar Province and the largest city in southern Afghanistan. It stands on a plain at about 1,000 m, with the Arghandab River and its orchards to the north and west and bare, rocky ridges rising on the western edge of town. The core of the city is the walled town laid out by Ahmad Shah Durrani in the 18th century, a grid of streets whose main bazaars meet at a central crossing known as the Char Suq. Little of the old wall survives, and newer districts, markets and housing have spread out in every direction. The domed mausoleum of Ahmad Shah and the neighbouring Shrine of the Cloak stand at the heart of the old town, while the ruins of Old Kandahar and the rock-cut steps of Chil Zena lie to the west. For visitors, Kandahar is a busy and conservative city where Pashtun traditions shape daily life, its streets full of trade in fruit, cloth and goods brought from across the border. It is also the natural starting point for the orchards of Arghandab and the rest of the south.

West of the modern city, beneath a rocky ridge, lie the ruins of Old Kandahar, a fortified town occupied from at least the first millennium BCE and widely identified with a city founded by Alexander the Great. A rock inscription in Greek and Aramaic issued by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka was found there in 1958. The Mughal emperor Babur took the city in the early 16th century, and the Forty Steps, or Chil Zena, cut into the cliff, carry a Persian inscription recording Mughal conquests. Old Kandahar changed hands several times between the Mughals and the Safavids before Nader Shah besieged and destroyed it in 1738. Ahmad Shah Durrani then laid out the present city to the east and made it the capital of his empire. His son Timur Shah moved the capital to Kabul in the 1770s, but Kandahar remained the chief city of the south. British forces occupied it during both 19th-century Anglo-Afghan wars, and in recent decades it has again been at the centre of national events.

Kandahar is a predominantly Pashto-speaking city, though Dari is widely understood in shops and offices. Religious life is visible everywhere: the call to prayer sounds from mosques across town, and Friday prayers draw large congregations. The Shrine of the Cloak beside Ahmad Shah's mausoleum holds a cloak revered as having belonged to the Prophet Muhammad, brought to the city by Ahmad Shah, and is one of the most important religious sites in the country. Other shrines are favourite places for an outing, especially that of Baba Wali on the bank of the Arghandab north of the city, where families come to pray and to sit among the gardens. During the Eid holidays and in spring, the orchards and gardens on the city's edge fill with visitors. Evenings centre on tea houses for men and on family gatherings at home. Kite flying is a popular pastime when the wind is right, and poetry and music remain part of weddings and private celebrations.

The city lies on a flat plain, with the Arghandab River to the north-west and drier, stony land stretching to the south and east. Bare ridges rise sharply on its western side, and from the high ground near Chil Zena there are wide views across the rooftops to the green line of orchards along the river. Just north of the city, Arghandab district forms a belt of pomegranate orchards, vineyards and fruit trees watered by canals from the river, and in spring the blossom makes it the greenest place in the area. Within the city, gardens survive around the shrines and in private courtyards, although much of the old greenery has given way to building. Beyond the irrigated land, desert and gravel plain begin almost at the city's edge, and dust carried on the summer wind is a regular part of city life.

Kandahar's bazaars are the best place to taste the fruit the province is known for. In autumn the stalls are piled with pomegranates, and vendors press fresh juice on the street; in summer, melons, grapes and figs take their place. Dried fruit and nuts, especially raisins and almonds, are sold all year round. Kebab shops grill skewers of lamb over charcoal from late afternoon, served with naan straight from the tandoor, raw onion and a sharp green chutney. Larger restaurants offer rice dishes, korma stews and dopiaza, lamb cooked with a generous quantity of onion. In summer, sheer yakh, a rose-scented ice cream, is sold from carts, and sweet shops do brisk business in the days before Eid. Green tea is poured in shops and offices throughout the day, often with sugared almonds.

The old city's bazaars are where Kandahar's embroidery is bought and sold. Tailors and cloth merchants stock khamak-embroidered shirt fronts, collars, cuffs and shawls, and many will make up a garment to order. Embroidered round caps, often decorated with small mirrors, are sold in cap shops alongside turbans and woollen shawls. Prayer beads, small metal and leather goods, and cloth woven or printed elsewhere fill other shops. Much of the trade is in everyday goods rather than souvenirs, and visitors looking for crafts usually do best by asking cloth sellers which pieces are made locally. Dried fruit, nuts and boxes of pomegranates are the city's most popular gifts, and in autumn many travellers leave with a crate of fruit.

The city is at its best from March to April and again from October to November, when days are warm and evenings cool. In summer it is very hot, often above 40°C, and life adjusts to the heat: much of the activity in the bazaars moves to the early morning and the evening. Winter days are usually bright and mild, but nights can be cold enough for frost, and many buildings have little heating. Rain is rare and falls mostly in winter and early spring. The blossom in the nearby orchards in spring and the pomegranate season in autumn are the city's most attractive times. The Eid holidays bring crowds to the shrines and gardens, and many shops close for the first day of each Eid.

Kandahar International Airport lies about 15 km south-east of the city centre, off the road to Spin Boldak, and has served domestic flights from Kabul and other cities. The journey into town is by taxi or private car. By road, the highway from Kabul and Ghazni approaches the city from the north-east, and the road from Helmand and Herat comes in from the west. Long-distance buses and shared taxis use stands on the outskirts, generally on the side of the city facing their destination, and connect Kandahar with Kabul, Lashkar Gah, Tarinkot, Qalat and the border town of Spin Boldak. Road conditions and local circumstances change, so travellers should check current conditions before setting out.

Kandahar has the widest choice of accommodation in the south. Hotels range from larger establishments with restaurants, meeting rooms and guarded parking, mostly in the newer districts and along the main roads out of town, to simple hotels in the centre near the bazaars, used by traders and travellers from the districts. Standards vary, and hot water, electricity and air-conditioning depend on generators in many places, so it is worth asking before checking in during the summer heat. Families visiting relatives usually stay in private homes, and for many visitors from elsewhere in Afghanistan this remains the usual arrangement. Rooms can be scarce during the Eid holidays, when many people travel to see their families.

The zaranj, a three-wheeled motor rickshaw with a covered passenger seat, is the main way to get around Kandahar. Drivers wait at junctions and in the bazaars, and the fare is agreed before setting off. Taxis and private cars are also available, and minibuses run along the main roads. The old city is compact enough to explore on foot, and walking is the best way to see its bazaars and the area around the mausoleum. For trips to Chil Zena, Old Kandahar, Baba Wali or the Arghandab orchards, hiring a car with a driver for half a day is the practical choice. Traffic is heavy in the centre during the day, with rickshaws, motorbikes, handcarts and lorries sharing the roads.