Khost

Khost Province is one of the 34 provinces in Afghanistan that is situated in east of Afghanistan and shares border with Paktia and Paktika Provinces. Moreover, it borders Pakistan on the east. A view of Khost Province A view of Khost Province Khost Province Khost Province The Great Mosque of Khost Province The Great Mosque of Khost Province Mountains of Khost Province Mountains of KHost Province The Great Mosque of Khost Province The Great Mosque of Khost Province Security forces in Khost Province Security forces in Khost Province Aerial images of Khost Province Aerial images of Khost Province Glamour of Khost Province Glamour of Khost Province Khost-Pakistan road Khost-Pakistan road Literally Khost means "island" or a place between land and the water; old water streams all were unified in Khost Province. It can be stated that Khost Province has been one of the main districts of Paktia Province which has been promoted to province during Dr. Najibullah regime. Khost Road Khost Road Firewood Firewood Aerial images of Khost Province Aerial images of Khost Province A rainbow after a rainy day in Khost Province A rainbow after a rainy day in Khost Province The culture in Khost Province The Kakrak Shrine and Baba Gol Zarak Shrine are among most important places in Khost Province which attract a large number of youths during different occasions. Generally, religious places in Khost Province are most crowded in the beginning of the Persian new year and there are many sites around religious places for leisure. Soccer, cricket, volleyball, motoring and bike riding are among common games played not far away from religious places in the new year. Soccer, volleyball and cricket are played by certain teams that come together from different regions. Also, in motoring everybody shows off its skills. They drive with a high speed and perform different moves. In bike riding, the riders are quite skillful and do different moves. Traditionally, a lot of people from around the province come to visit these programs in the new year. Bazar in Khost Province Bazar in Khost Province Khost University Khost University The charming essence of Khost Province The charming essence of Khost Province Another view of Khost University Another view of Khost University Views of Khost Province Views of Khost Province Wheat farms in Khost Province Wheat farms in Khost Province People of Khost People of Khost Exquisite images from Khost Province Exquisite images from Khost Province A stadium in Khost Province A Stadium in Khost Province Exquisite images from farms in Khost Province Exquisite images from farms in Khost Province Aerial images from Khost Province Aerial images from Khost Province Districts of Khost Province Maton, Laknu and Shamal are three administrative units that comprise the center of Khost Province. In addition, Khost Province has 12 districts including: Center of Khost Province Center of KHost Province 1. Sabari Sabari is one of the districts in Khost Province which is found 25 km2 to the north of the province. Farmlands in Sabari District in Khost Province Farmlands in Sabari District in Khost Province 2. Baak This district is 3o km2 to the north of Khost city and shares border with Sabari and Zazai Maidan Districts. 3. Zazai Maidan (Haji Maidan) This district is situated 45 km2 to the northeast of Khost city. It is one of the most secure districts in Afghanistan. Zazai Maidan District in Khost Province Zazai Maidan District in Khost Province Farmlands in Zazai Maidan District Farmlands in Zazai Maidan District Zazai Maidan District Zazai Maidan District 4. Alisher This district is located 35 km2 to the east of Khost city. It could be stated that rice is the most popular harvest of the district. Alisher District in Khost Province Alisher District in Khost Province 5. Garbaz Garbaz District is positioned 20 km2 to the southeast of Khost City and shares border with Miranshah, Northern Waziristan, Pakistan and it has a significant impact on the transit of goods between Afghanistan and Pakistan. 6. Tani The district is found 18 km2 to the south of Khost City. The district is unique for its chromite resources and mountains covered with trees. Girls in Tani District in Khost Province Girls in Tani District in Khost Province A mosque in Tani District A mosque in Tani District The beautiful nature of Tani District The beautiful nature of Tani District Lovely nature of Khost Province Lovely nature of Khost Province 7. Sapiri This district is situated 55 km2 to the southeast of Khost City. 8. Dwa Manda This district is standing along the Khost-Garbaz Highway to the west of Khost City. Its mountains are covered with woodlands. Its Fir-Apple is among most important harvests in the district. 9. Musa Khail This district is a mountainous region situated 37 km2 to the northeast of Khost City. The mountains are covered with forests. In addition to chromite resources it cultivates walnut and Fir-Apple. Musa Khail District in Khost Province Musa Khail District in Khost Province 10. Qalandar This district is located 40 km2 to the east of Khost City. 11. Nader Shah Kot This district is to the north of Khost City. Nader Shah Kot is a mountainous region covered with walnut and Fir-Apple trees. Nader Shah Kot District Nader Shah Kot District 12. Ismail Khail and Mandozai This district is close to Khost City, it shares border with Tani District in the South and Nader Shah Kot District in the East. Mandozai District Mandozai District Mandozai District in Khost Province Mandozai District in Khost Province

The Khost basin has long been a meeting place between the Afghan highlands and the plains of the Indus region, and its people have traded across the mountains for centuries. Its fertile land and sheltered climate supported a dense farming population, organised in tribes with their own territories and councils of elders. In 1924 Khost was the centre of an uprising against the reforms of King Amanullah, often called the Khost rebellion, which was put down after several months of fighting. The area was part of Paktia province for most of the 20th century and became a separate province in the 1990s. The province was heavily affected by the conflicts of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. In recent years, cross-border trade, money sent home by workers abroad and new roads have fed growth in and around the capital.

Pashto is the language of daily life in Khost, and the province's people are almost all Pashtun, belonging to tribes such as the Zadran, Mangal, Tani, Gurbuz and Sabari, each with its own areas and elders. Most people are Sunni Muslims. Pashtunwali, the customary code, shapes social life, with its emphasis on hospitality, honour and the jirga, the council where elders settle disputes. Every village has its hujra, where men gather, guests are received and news is shared. Weddings are celebrated with the dhol drum, the surna and the attan dance, and Pashto music and poetry are deeply loved. Cricket is a passion in Khost, played in streets and fields across the province. The two Eids are the main festivals, and local gatherings bring out wrestling and other traditional contests.

Khost is a basin of fields and villages enclosed by mountains. The central plain, at about 1,100 to 1,200 metres, is watered by streams that flow east out of the hills towards Pakistan, and by irrigation channels that keep the fields green for much of the year. Around the basin, the land rises to ridges and mountains, with forests of pine and oak on the higher slopes. Chilgoza pine, valued for its nuts, grows in these forests. In the lower hills, the dwarf palm called mazri covers dry slopes. Khost receives more rain than most of Afghanistan, including summer monsoon showers and thunderstorms. Farmers grow wheat, maize, vegetables and fodder, and the basin's warmth allows crops that do not thrive in the cooler highlands.

Khost's food is generous and meat-rich, in the tradition of Pashtun hospitality. Guests are served qabuli palaw, kebabs and stews of mutton or chicken with fresh bread, and on special occasions a sheep may be slaughtered for the meal. Chapli kebab and tikka, chunks of grilled meat, are popular in the bazaars. Maize bread is common in villages, along with wheat naan, and dairy products such as yoghurt, butter, doogh and qurut are part of daily meals. In winter, landi, dried meat, is cooked with rice or in soups. The province is known for its chilgoza pine nuts, gathered from the hill forests in autumn and sold across Afghanistan and beyond, and the warm basin produces vegetables and fruit for local markets.

A traditional craft of the area is weaving with mazri, the dwarf palm of the lower hills. Its leaves are made into mats, baskets, prayer mats, hand fans and rope, and mazri goods are sold in village markets and the city bazaar. Embroidery is an important household skill. Women embroider caps, dresses and shawls in bright colours, sometimes with small mirrors, and embroidered caps and waistcoats are worn by men across the province. Carpentry using local timber and the making of leather sandals continue in the bazaars, where these goods sit alongside cloth, clothing and household items imported from Pakistan and the Gulf.

Khost's lower altitude gives it a climate unlike that of most of Afghanistan. Winters, from December to February, are mild by day and cool at night, with little or no snow in the basin, making this a pleasant season to visit, although the passes on the road from Gardez can be snowy. Spring, from March to May, is warm and green, and autumn, in October and November, is clear and comfortable, with the pine-nut harvest coming to market. Summer, from June to September, is hot and often humid, with monsoon rains and thunderstorms in July and August. For most visitors, October to April offers the most comfortable conditions.

From Kabul, the usual road route runs south through Logar to Gardez and then south-east over the mountains on the Khost–Gardez road, which crosses a high pass before descending into the basin. The whole journey is about 230 km and typically takes five hours or more. Khost has an airport near the provincial capital, and domestic flights from Kabul have served it. Roads also link the province with Paktika to the south-west, and with Pakistan through the Ghulam Khan crossing to North Waziristan, an important route for trade. Road conditions and local circumstances change, so travellers should check current conditions before setting out.

Khost city has most of the province's accommodation: a range of hotels and guesthouses, from simple to more comfortable, used by traders, officials and families visiting from abroad. Outside the city, commercial lodging is rare. In villages, guests are received in the hujra, the community guest room, and Pashtun custom expects hosts to feed and shelter them, though such hospitality depends on personal connections and local circumstances. District centres may have simple rooms over shops and restaurants, mainly for drivers and traders, and facilities there are very basic.

Shared taxis and minibuses link Khost city with the district centres, Gardez, Kabul and the border, leaving from stands in the city when full. In rural areas, services are less frequent, and pick-up trucks often carry passengers and goods together. Rickshaws are the main form of local transport in the larger district centres, and motorcycles are very common across the province. For trips into the hills and forests, a hired car with a driver, preferably a four-wheel-drive vehicle, is the most practical option, and on the steepest tracks people still walk or use pack animals.