Maidan Wardak

Maidan Wardak, often called simply Wardak, is a mountainous province immediately west and south-west of Kabul. It reaches from the edge of the Kabul basin across mountain ranges and the headwaters of the Kabul River to the high, open uplands of the Behsud in the west. Its neighbours are Parwan to the north, Kabul to the east, Logar to the south-east, Ghazni to the south and Bamyan to the west. The eastern districts, among them Maidan Shahr, the capital, Nerkh, Jalrez, Chak and Sayedabad, lie in valleys at roughly 2,000 to 2,500 metres. The Kabul–Kandahar highway runs through Maidan Shahr and Sayedabad, linking Kabul with Ghazni and the south, and the Jalrez valley, which carries the central road to Bamyan, is known across the country for its apples. The western districts of Hesa-e Awal Behsud and Markaz-e Behsud, together with Daymirdad, are high country of pastures and scattered villages. For travellers, Wardak is mostly a province passed through on the way to Ghazni or Bamyan, but its valleys reward a closer look: orchards and fortified mud-walled farmhouses along the rivers, the climb to the Unai Pass on the road to Bamyan, and wide mountain views from the Behsud uplands in summer.

Wardak lies on one of the oldest routes in Afghanistan, the road between Kabul and Ghazni, and it shared in the history of both. Under the Ghaznavids, whose capital lay to the south, the route through Wardak carried armies and trade between Ghazni and Kabul, and its valleys supplied grain and fodder to both cities. The province takes its name from the Wardak, a Pashtun tribe long settled in its eastern valleys, while the western highlands of the Behsud have been home to Hazara communities for centuries. In the 20th century a small hydroelectric dam was built at Chak, and in the 1960s the paved Kabul–Kandahar highway was laid through Maidan Shahr, making the province the capital's gateway to the south. The province was affected by conflict in recent decades.

Pashto is the main language in the eastern valleys around Maidan Shahr and along the highway, while Dari, in its Hazaragi form, is the main language of the Behsud highlands in the west; many people speak both. Sunni and Shia communities both live in the province, and mosques, local shrines and the extended family are the anchors of community life. Village customs differ between the valleys and the highlands, but hospitality is strong throughout, and guests are welcomed with tea, bread and whatever the household can offer. Nowruz is celebrated with family gatherings and outings as the snow retreats, and Eid brings visits between relatives. In Pashtun villages the attan, a circle dance performed to the drum, is a feature of weddings and celebrations, and wrestling is a popular pastime.

Wardak is high, mountainous country, and most of its people live between about 2,000 and 3,000 metres. In the east, river valleys such as those of Jalrez, Nerkh and Chak run between bare, rocky ranges, their floors green with irrigated fields and orchards, especially of apples, apricots and walnuts, and lined with poplars and willows. The Kabul River rises in the mountains of the north-west near the Unai Pass and flows east through Jalrez and the Maidan valley towards the capital. West of the pass the land opens into the Behsud, a wide upland of rolling pastures, small fields of wheat, barley and potatoes, and scattered villages, under snow for much of the winter. In summer herders bring flocks of sheep and goats up to graze the high grasslands.

Wardak is known across Afghanistan for its apples, grown mainly in Jalrez and the valleys around Maidan Shahr, and in autumn the roadsides fill with stalls and trucks loaded with them for Kabul's markets. Apricots, walnuts and mulberries are also grown, and potatoes are an important crop in the higher districts. The highland districts are a country of dairy and meat: yoghurt, qurut and ghee from the flocks, and in many homes dried, salted mutton, known as landi, which is prepared in autumn and eaten in winter stews. Along the highway, eating houses serve kebabs, qabuli palaw, shorwa and fresh bread to travellers between Kabul and Ghazni, and tea houses offer a hot meal and green tea to drivers crossing the passes.

Wardak is not a major craft centre, and its bazaars mostly sell everyday goods, local produce and goods brought in from Kabul. In the Behsud and other highland districts, women weave woollen textiles at home, including kilims, sacks, saddlebags and the coarse woollen cloth known as barak, traditionally used for coats and blankets in the cold highlands. Embroidery, often brightly coloured, decorates caps, clothing and household textiles. In the eastern valleys crafts are mostly practical, such as woven baskets and mats and simple metalwork for farms and households. Travellers looking for carpets and finer crafts will find far more choice in Kabul, though highland weavings occasionally reach the market in Maidan Shahr.

The best months are May to October. Spring arrives later than in Kabul because of the altitude: the orchards of Jalrez and Maidan blossom in April and May, and the passes on the road to Bamyan clear of snow in late spring. Summer is warm in the valleys and cool on the Behsud uplands, the best time for the highlands, when the pastures are green and the flocks are up. Autumn is the apple harvest, with clear skies and crisp nights, and the valleys turn gold. Winter is long and severe, with heavy snow from about December to March; the Unai Pass and roads in the Behsud can be closed for days at a time, and even the highway near Maidan Shahr can be slowed by snow and ice.

The Kabul–Kandahar highway crosses the eastern part of the province, leaving the capital's south-western suburbs and reaching Maidan Shahr after about 40 km, roughly an hour's drive. It continues south through Sayedabad towards Ghazni, about 150 km from Kabul. Side roads off the highway lead into the Nerkh and Chak valleys. The central route to Bamyan branches west near Maidan Shahr and climbs the Jalrez valley to the high Unai Pass before crossing the Hajigak Pass into Bamyan Province; Bamyan town is about 180 km from Kabul this way. The Behsud highlands are reached from this road, and its higher stretches are often blocked by snow in winter. Road conditions and local circumstances change, so travellers should check current conditions before setting out.

Accommodation in Wardak is limited, and most visitors either pass through on the way to Ghazni or Bamyan or come on a day trip from Kabul, which is close enough to return the same day. Maidan Shahr has a few simple hotels and guesthouses near the highway, used mainly by Afghan travellers and officials. Along the highway and the road to Bamyan, roadside tea houses offer meals and, in the traditional way, a place to sleep on carpeted platforms for travellers caught by darkness or snow. In the Jalrez valley and the Behsud highlands there are no formal hotels; overnight stays are usually as guests of local families, arranged beforehand through trusted contacts. Expect basic facilities throughout.

Minibuses, buses and shared taxis run along the Kabul–Kandahar highway through Maidan Shahr and Sayedabad, and many vehicles between Kabul and Ghazni will drop passengers at points along the way. Shared vehicles to Jalrez and on towards Bamyan leave from Kabul and pass the junction near Maidan Shahr. Within Maidan Shahr, auto-rickshaws and taxis cover local trips. In the side valleys, shared pick-ups and minibuses link the villages with the district centres, running less often in winter. A private car with a driver is the easiest way for a visitor to see the orchards of Jalrez or to cross to the Behsud. In the highlands people still walk long distances between villages, and donkeys carry loads where the roads give out.