Kunduz

Kunduz province lies in northern Afghanistan on the southern bank of the Amu Darya, here also called the Panj, which separates it from Tajikistan. It borders Takhar to the east, Baghlan to the south, and Balkh to the west. Much of the province is a low, flat plain, among the lowest and warmest farmland in the north-east, watered by the Kunduz and Khanabad rivers, which join before flowing north to the Amu Darya. Kunduz is one of Afghanistan's main agricultural provinces. Its irrigated fields produce rice, wheat, cotton, melons and vegetables, and its markets supply much of the region. The capital, also called Kunduz, is a large commercial city and a junction on the roads linking Kabul and Baghlan with Takhar, Badakhshan and the border. Other district centres include Imam Sahib in the north, Khanabad to the east, Chahar Dara and Ali Abad near the capital, Dasht-e Archi and Qala-i Zal. At Sher Khan Bandar, a bridge across the Panj carries the main road link to Tajikistan. For visitors, the province offers the farming life of the northern plains, busy district bazaars, buzkashi in winter, and a sense of the trade routes that have crossed this region for centuries.

The plains of Kunduz were part of ancient Bactria, and archaeological finds show long settlement; a large hoard of Greco-Bactrian and Indo-Greek silver coins was found in the province in the 1940s. In the early medieval period the area was part of Tokharistan, and the town that became Kunduz grew as a regional centre. In the 18th and early 19th centuries Kunduz was the seat of the Uzbek rulers of Qataghan, who controlled much of the north-east. The area was brought under the Afghan state in the mid-19th century. From the 1930s, the draining of marshland and the development of irrigated cotton farming and processing transformed the province into one of Afghanistan's richest agricultural regions. Kunduz became a separate province in 1964, when Qataghan was divided. It was the scene of repeated fighting during the conflicts of recent decades.

Kunduz is one of the most varied provinces of the north, and Pashto, Dari and Uzbek are all widely spoken, with Turkmen and other languages heard in some villages. Most people are Sunni Muslims, and mosques, madrasas and local shrines are important in community life. Buzkashi is hugely popular, and the season of large matches runs through the winter and around Nowruz, when riders from across the north compete before big crowds. Wrestling and kite flying are common pastimes. Music draws on Pashto, Dari and Uzbek traditions, and weddings are lively occasions with dancing, food and the dambura, the dutar and drums. Nowruz is marked with family visits, picnics and special dishes, and the farming calendar, from sowing rice and cotton in spring to the harvest in autumn, shapes the rhythm of rural life.

Most of Kunduz is a broad, flat plain at low altitude, crossed by the Kunduz and Khanabad rivers and a dense network of irrigation canals. Rice paddies, cotton fields, wheat and melon fields stretch between villages lined with mulberry, willow and poplar trees, and the land is green from spring to autumn. Along the Amu Darya in the north, the floodplain has wetlands, reed beds and patches of riverine woodland of the kind found along Central Asia's desert rivers, which shelter birds and other wildlife. To the west and south-west, towards Balkh and Samangan, the plain gives way to dry steppe and low hills grazed by sheep and goats. Summers are very hot, and the rivers carry heavy silt from the mountains, while in winter the plain can be damp and foggy. Migratory birds pass through the wetlands in spring and autumn.

Kunduz is one of Afghanistan's main rice-growing provinces, and its rice is prized across the country, appearing at every celebration as qabuli palaw with carrots, raisins and lamb, or as Uzbek-style palaw. Kebab, mantu, ashak, bolani and shorwa are standard fare in the bazaars, and bread comes hot from clay ovens. Summer is the season for the melons and watermelons of the northern plains, sold in great piles at the roadside, and for grapes, apricots and mulberries. In winter, fried fish is sold in some bazaars, often eaten with jalebi, a cold-weather custom in many Afghan towns. Dairy, honey, dried fruit and nuts come in from the surrounding districts, and green tea is served throughout the day.

Kunduz is better known for farm produce and trade than for distinctive crafts, but the province does have weaving traditions. Turkmen and Uzbek households in some districts weave carpets and kilims, and women embroider caps, cushion covers, dresses and the decorative cloths used at weddings. The bazaars of the capital are where these are sold, alongside the striped chapan coats made by local tailors, horse gear for buzkashi riders, and metalwork such as knives, tools and cooking pots. Baskets and reed mats are made for everyday use in rural areas. Visitors will also find a wide range of imported cloth, household goods and electronics, a reflection of the province's role as a trading area close to the border.

The province is at its best in spring, from March to May, when the plains are green with young wheat, the trees are in leaf and the weather is warm but not yet harsh. Nowruz in March brings buzkashi matches and gatherings in the district centres. From June to August the plain is very hot and dusty, and field work and travel happen early in the morning and late in the day. Autumn, especially October and November, is the harvest season for cotton and rice and a good time to see the countryside at work, and the wetlands along the Amu Darya attract passing migratory birds in spring and autumn. Winter, from December to February, is mild compared with the mountains but can be damp and foggy, with frost and occasional light snow, and unpaved village roads turn to mud. It is also the main buzkashi season across the province.

From Kabul, the main road crosses the Salang Pass and descends to Puli Khumri, then runs north through Baghlan to Kunduz, a journey of about 330 km that usually takes six to seven hours, depending on traffic and conditions on the Salang. Kunduz is also connected by road to Taloqan in the east, about an hour and a half away, and roads lead west towards Balkh. The capital has an airport (UND), and domestic flights have served it at times. In the north, the road to Sher Khan Bandar leads to a bridge over the Panj, opened in 2007, which is the main road crossing between Afghanistan and Tajikistan; whether it is open to travellers should be checked before planning to use it. Road conditions and local circumstances change, so travellers should check current conditions before setting out.

Kunduz city has the province's widest range of accommodation, with hotels and guesthouses in the centre and along the roads leading towards Kabul and Takhar. They range from simple rooms used by traders and drivers to larger hotels with restaurants and halls. Outside the capital, district centres such as Imam Sahib and Khanabad have only a few basic places to stay, and in the villages visitors are usually hosted by families, where hospitality to guests is a long tradition. In the summer heat, rooms are best chosen for fans or air cooling, and in winter for heating; electricity supply varies, so it is worth asking before checking in. For most visitors, the capital is the practical base for trips around the province.

Across the province, shared taxis and minibuses link the capital with the district centres, with Taloqan, Puli Khumri and Baghlan, and with Sher Khan Bandar, leaving from stands on the edges of the city when full. On the flat roads of the plain, bicycles and motorcycles are everywhere, and horse-drawn carts are still seen in some villages. In the district towns, zaranj rickshaws carry passengers and goods over short distances. Hiring a car with a driver is the most flexible way to visit the countryside, the riverside districts or the border area. Most roads on the plain are passable year round, though unpaved tracks can turn to deep mud after rain.