Mazar-i-Sharif

Mazar-i-Sharif is the capital of Balkh Province and the largest city of northern Afghanistan, set on the flat plain between the Alborz hills and the Amu Darya at an elevation of about 360 metres. Its name means 'noble shrine', a reference to the shrine at its centre, which many Afghans hold to be the burial place of Ali ibn Abi Talib, cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. The shrine, with its domes and walls of blue and turquoise tiles, stands in a large garden in the middle of the city, and the main streets lead outwards from it. Flocks of white pigeons live around the shrine, and feeding them is part of a visit. Around the shrine are the older bazaars, and beyond them newer districts with wide roads, markets, universities and wedding halls. The city is the commercial centre of the north, handling trade that comes across the Amu Darya from Central Asia, and it draws people from every part of the region. Visitors come above all for the shrine and for the Nowruz celebrations, and use the city as a base for trips to the ancient site of Balkh, about 20 kilometres to the west.

For centuries this was a village in the shadow of Balkh, then the great city of the plain. According to the account accepted locally, the tomb of Ali was revealed here in the 12th century, and the Seljuk sultan Sanjar built the first shrine over it. That building was destroyed in the Mongol invasion, and the shrine seen today goes back to the late 15th century, when it was rebuilt under the Timurid ruler Sultan Husayn Bayqara of Herat. It has been restored and extended many times since. The settlement grew steadily around the shrine as a place of pilgrimage. In the 19th century, as Balkh declined, the governors of the region moved their seat to Mazar-i-Sharif, which became the administrative centre of the north. In the 20th century the city expanded with new roads, industry fed by natural gas from Jowzjan, and the bridge over the Amu Darya at Hairatan. Like much of the country, it was affected by the conflicts of recent decades.

Religious life in the city revolves around the shrine, which receives pilgrims throughout the year, especially on Fridays and religious holidays. Visitors are expected to dress modestly and to follow the guidance of the shrine's attendants on where they may go. A local tradition holds that a grey pigeon that settles at the shrine turns white within forty days. Nowruz is the city's great event. On the first day of the year crowds fill the shrine gardens for the raising of the banner, the Jahenda Bala, and the city stays busy with visitors for weeks. Buzkashi matches are held on open ground near the city in the cold season and draw large crowds of spectators. Dari is the main language of the streets, with Uzbek, Pashto and Turkmen also heard in the markets. The city has a lively tradition of poetry and music, and its universities make it a centre of study for the north.

The city lies on an almost flat plain, open to the north and backed to the south by the bare ridges of the Alborz hills, which stand out clearly on bright days and may carry snow in winter. Irrigation canals from the Balkh River water the fields and orchards that surround the city. Within the city, the shrine gardens are the main green space, planted with flower beds and trees and busy with families in the evenings. In spring the countryside around Mazar-i-Sharif briefly turns green and red with tulips and poppies, and many residents drive out to the hills and fields for picnics. By midsummer the land around the city is dry and dusty, and the heat makes the shaded gardens and the cooler hours of the evening the time to be outdoors.

Mazar-i-Sharif's eateries and street stalls reflect the mix of the north. Kebab houses grill skewers of lamb and liver over charcoal, served with bread straight from the tandoor, and larger restaurants serve qabuli palaw and Uzbek-style palaw on platters for groups. Mantu and ashak are favourites for family meals. Street food is part of city life: boiled chickpeas with vinegar and chutney, fried bolani, and, in the hot months, bowls of ice cream known as sheer yakh and cold drinks of salted yoghurt, called dogh. Fruit stalls follow the season, with melons and grapes from the surrounding plains in late summer, and tea houses serve green and black tea throughout the day.

The bazaars around the shrine are one of the main markets in the north for carpets and kilims, which are brought in from weaving villages across Balkh, Jowzjan and Faryab. Dealers stack them in small shops and will unroll dozens for an interested buyer. Hat sellers offer karakul caps alongside embroidered skullcaps and turbans, and tailors' shops sell chapan coats in striped silk and cotton. Other shops deal in silver jewellery in Turkmen and Uzbek styles, lapis lazuli and other stones from Badakhshan, prayer beads, and small souvenirs of the shrine. Bargaining is expected, and dealers often offer tea to customers who stay to look.

The best times to visit are spring and autumn. Late March is the busiest time of year, when pilgrims and visitors arrive for Nowruz and accommodation fills up; those who want to see the celebrations should plan well ahead, and those who prefer quiet should come in April or May, when the weather is mild and the surrounding countryside is green. September to November brings warm days, cooler nights and the harvest fruit in the markets. From June to August the city is very hot and dry, with occasional dust storms, and daily life slows in the afternoons. Winters are short and cool, with frosty nights, the occasional fall of snow, and buzkashi on Fridays.

Mazar-i-Sharif is about 420 kilometres north of Kabul by road, a journey of around seven to eight hours over the Salang Pass and through Pul-e Khumri and Aybak. Buses and shared taxis run between Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif, arriving at stations on the edge of the city. The airport lies east of the city and has been served by domestic flights from Kabul and other centres; the flight from Kabul takes about an hour. Sheberghan is about two hours away by road to the west, and Kunduz about three hours to the east. To the north, the road to Hairatan and the bridge to Termez in Uzbekistan takes a little over an hour. Road conditions and local circumstances change, so travellers should check current conditions before setting out.

Mazar-i-Sharif has the widest range of accommodation in northern Afghanistan. Simple hotels and rooms above shops cluster in the streets around the shrine and the central bazaars, convenient for walking to the shrine but often noisy. Larger hotels, some with restaurants, gardens and parking, stand along the main avenues leading away from the centre and are more often used by business travellers and families. Guesthouses in residential districts offer a quieter alternative. Around Nowruz, rooms anywhere in the city are in high demand and should be arranged in advance. Facilities vary widely, so it is worth asking about electricity, heating or air conditioning, and hot water before committing to a stay.

The centre of the city is compact and flat, and the area around the shrine and the main bazaars is easily covered on foot. Taxis are plentiful and can be stopped on the street, while shared taxis and minibuses run along the main roads and out to the suburbs, picking up and dropping off passengers along the way. Zaranj rickshaws are a common sight and are useful for short trips. The flat streets also make Mazar-i-Sharif a city of bicycles, and brightly decorated horse-drawn carriages, known as gadi, still carry passengers in some parts of town. For trips to Balkh town and other places outside the city, hiring a car with a driver for the day is the most practical option.