Kunar

Kunar is a mountainous province in Afghanistan which is covered with forests and has an area of about 4300 km2. It is located on the east of the country. It shares border with Nuristan Province in the north, Nangarhar Province in the south, Laghman Province in the west and Pakistan in the east. Kunar Province Aerial image, Kunar Province Aerial image, kunar Province Kunar is a Nuristani word which means "Olive Valley". In the past, it has been an administrative unit in Nangarhar Province, however, in 1965, Kunar was promoted to province. Majority of the population in Kunar are Pashtuns. The drawing of God, Kunar Province Charming images from Kunar Province Kunar Province Cricket field, Kunar Province Kunar River Kunar River, near the border of Pakistan A view of mountains in Kunar Province Forested regions in Kunar Province Kunar River Korangal village Security posts, Korangal Valley Korangal Valley Pech Valley, Kunar Province Another beautiful view from Pech Valley A village close to Pech Valley Pech River Korangal Valley Districts of Kunar Province Asadabad or Asaad Abad is a small city and the center of Kunar Province. Some say that Jamāl al-Dīn Asadābādī was born in this village. Kunar Province comprises of 15 districts which include: 1. Asadabad Asadabad City is the center of Kunar Province. It has a marvelous nature and an area of 480 km2. Asadabad is also referred to as "Chaghan Sarai"; an historical hill named "Chaghan" is located in the north of the city; also, it has witnessed the ruling of Chaghanis, therefore, it has a significant historical value. A view of Asadabad City Another view of Asadabad City A landscape of Kunar River from the south of Asadabad A view of Pakistan from mountains around Asadabad Sunset in Asadabad Asadabad, center of Kunar Province A lovely view of Asadabad, Kunar Province Stunning waterfalls, Asadabad City 2. Narang District This district is situated to the south of Asadabad and along the Asadabad-Jalalabad Highway. It has an area of about 164 km2. Majority of the people in this district are farmers or herders. Koz Narang Hill Narang District 3. Choki District Choki District is a mountainous region covered with woods. It is located on the south of Asadabad and down the Jalalabad Highway. It has an area of 249 km2. Agricultural lands, Choki District Choki District 4. Noor Gull District This district is situated to the south of Asadabad and along the Jalalabad Highway. It covers an area of 367 km2 and shares border with Dare Noor District in Nangarhar. Noor Gul District 5. Khas Kunar District Khas Kunar District is positioned to the southeast of Asadabad and has an area of 337 km2. Khas Kunar District A village in Khas Kunar District 6. Sarkano District This district is situated to the southeast of Asadabad and covers an area of 297 km2. 7. Manawara District This district is located to the east of Asadabad and has an area of 159 km2. Also, it shares border with the center of Kunar Province, Sarkano District and Shigal District. 8. Shigal District This district is a forested region situated to the east of Asadabad. 9. Asmar District This district is located to the east of Asadabad and has an area of 910 km2. 10. Dangam district It is a mountainous region with an area of 334 km2. Majority of the population in this district are farmers and herders. 11. Ghazi Abad This district is positioned to the east of Asadabad and has an area of 377 km2. Gujar, Salarzai and Mashwani tribes reside in this district. Mountainous regions in this district are covered with trees. 12. Narri District This district is situated to the east of Asadabad and has an area of 377 km2. Mountains in this district are covered with Najo trees. It shares border with Kamdish District in the east of Nuristan and Ghazi Abad District. Gujar, Salarzai and Meshwani are the tribes living in this district. Narri District, Kunar Province Villager, Narang Hill 13. Watapoor District This district is located to the north of Asadabad. It is divided to two parts by Pech River and consists of 49 small and big villages. Also, it shares border with Manogay District, Want Waigal District (Nuristan) and Asadabad city. Morning in Watapoor District 14. Manogay District This district is situated to the north of Asadabad City and is the biggest district in the province regarding the population and area. It has an area of 531 km2. Also, there are many mines and precious stones in this district. In addition to agriculture and herding the people in this district are active in mining industry. 15. Chapa Dara District This district is situated to the north of Asadabad city in Kunar Province and covers an area of 229 km2. It shares border with Wama District and Laghman Province. Most of the residents in this province are from Sapi tribe. Also, there are mines and precious stones in this district. Chapa Dara District

The Kunar valley has long been a route between the Kabul River plain and the mountains to the north. Ancient writers describe Alexander the Great campaigning in the hill country of this region in the 4th century BCE, and many historians place part of his route along the Kunar valley. In the early centuries CE the valley shared in the Buddhist culture of the wider Gandhara region. Over the following centuries the lower valley came under the rulers who held Jalalabad and Kabul, while the mountains on either side were home to communities that kept a great deal of independence. Until the late 19th century the mountains to the north and west formed part of the region then known as Kafiristan, today's Nuristan. The Durand Line, drawn in 1893 between Afghanistan and British India, runs along the eastern side of the province. In recent decades Kunar, like much of the country, has been affected by conflict.

Pashto is the main language of Kunar, spoken throughout the main valley. In some side valleys and higher villages, Pashai and several Nuristani languages are also spoken, reflecting the variety of communities in the mountains, and Dari is understood in Asadabad and the larger bazaars. Religious life is strong, with a mosque at the heart of every village. Customary law and the authority of elders remain important, and disputes are often settled through a jirga. Hospitality is a matter of honour, and guests are fed generously. Village architecture is distinctive: on the steeper slopes, flat-roofed houses of stone and timber are built one above another, so that the roof of one serves as the terrace of the next. Music at weddings is played on the dhol and surna, and the attan dance is performed on festive occasions. Eid is the main celebration, and cricket and volleyball are widely played.

The Kunar River is the province's backbone. Fed by snow and glaciers far to the north in the Hindu Kush, it runs fast and cold through a valley that is wide and farmed in the south and narrower further north. Side rivers such as the Pech join it from the west, each draining a valley of its own. The mountains on both sides rise steeply to well over 3,000 metres, and their slopes carry some of Afghanistan's most important remaining forests. Evergreen oak grows on the lower slopes, giving way higher up to pine and deodar cedar, and the chilgoza pine, which produces pine nuts, grows in parts of the province. Much forest has been lost to logging in recent decades. The forests and high ridges support wildlife that has become rare elsewhere in the country, including bears, leopards and wild goats. On the valley floor, irrigated terraces grow rice, maize and wheat, with walnut, mulberry and fruit trees around the villages.

Kunar's food draws on its rivers, forests and terraced fields. Rice and maize are staple grains, and maize bread, often eaten with butter, yoghurt or cooked greens, is common in the villages. Meat dishes such as qorma, kebab and qabuli palaw are prepared for guests and festive meals. The forests supply pine nuts from the chilgoza pine, gathered in autumn and sold across the country, as well as honey and walnuts. Mulberries, apricots, pomegranates and citrus grow in the lower valley. Livestock kept on the mountain pastures provide milk, yoghurt, butter and ghee. Fish from the Kunar River is fried and sold in the bazaars of the lower valley, particularly in winter. Green tea, usually sweetened, accompanies meals and is offered to every visitor.

Kunar shares with neighbouring Nuristan a tradition of woodworking that makes use of the forests' timber. Carved wooden doors, pillars, chairs, beds and chests, often decorated with geometric patterns, are made in the mountain villages, and simpler wooden furniture and household goods are sold in the bazaars of the main valley. Weaving and embroidery are done in many households, mostly for family use: women embroider clothing, caps and cloth, and wool from the flocks is spun and woven into blankets and rough cloth. Baskets and mats are woven from local plants. Otherwise, the bazaars mainly sell everyday goods, cloth and household items brought from Jalalabad and Pakistan. Carpets and other well-known Afghan crafts are generally easier to find in Jalalabad or Kabul.

Kunar's climate varies with height. The main valley around Asadabad and further south is warm, with hot summers and mild winters, while the northern districts and the side valleys are cooler and the mountains above receive heavy snow. The province is wetter than most of Afghanistan, with rain in winter and spring and occasional summer storms. Spring, from March to May, is a good time to visit: the valley is green, fruit trees blossom, and the river runs high with snowmelt. Autumn, from September to November, brings settled weather, the harvest of rice and maize, and the pine-nut season, and the forests and terraces take on autumn colours. Summer in the lower valley is hot and humid, though the side valleys and higher villages are cooler. In winter, snow can close mountain tracks, and heavy rain or snowmelt in spring can cause floods and landslides that block roads for a time.

Kunar is reached by road from Jalalabad. The road leaves the city to the north-east and follows the Kunar valley upstream to Asadabad, a distance of roughly 95 kilometres that usually takes around two hours. From Kabul, the whole journey via Jalalabad is around 245 kilometres, usually about five hours. North of Asadabad, the road continues up the main valley through Shigal and Asmar towards the northern districts, and a branch road heads west up the Pech valley towards Nuristan. These roads are narrower and slower, and sections can be blocked by landslides or floods. The province has no airport; the nearest is at Jalalabad. Kunar has a long frontier with Pakistan, but travellers between the two countries normally use the Torkham crossing in Nangarhar. Road conditions and local circumstances change, so travellers should check current conditions before setting out.

Accommodation in Kunar is limited and basic, and most of it is in Asadabad. A few of the larger bazaar towns along the main valley have basic rooms above shops or roadside inns used by drivers and traders. In the villages and side valleys there is no formal accommodation. Visitors are generally hosted by local families or in the village hujra, the guest house kept for male visitors, and such stays depend on personal introductions rather than bookings. Many visitors choose to stay in Jalalabad, which has a far wider choice, and to travel up the valley from there. Electricity, hot water and other facilities in Kunar should not be taken for granted, and outside the capital they may be absent altogether.

Shared taxis and minibuses link Asadabad with Jalalabad and run up and down the main valley to the district centres, leaving when full from stands in the towns. Pickups and four-wheel-drive vehicles serve the rougher roads of the side valleys, including the Pech valley, and often carry goods as well as passengers. In the larger bazaar towns, motorised rickshaws and motorcycles handle short trips. Private cars with drivers can be hired in Jalalabad or Asadabad for more flexible travel. Beyond the roads, villages on the mountainsides are reached on foot along steep paths, and donkeys and mules carry the loads. Footbridges cross the river and its tributaries in many places, linking villages on opposite banks.