Nangarhar

Nangarhar lies in eastern Afghanistan, where the Kabul River leaves the mountains and crosses a broad, irrigated plain on its way towards Pakistan. It borders Laghman and Kunar to the north, Kabul and Logar provinces to the west, and Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the south and east, where the long wall of the Spin Ghar range marks much of the frontier. The provincial capital, Jalalabad, stands near the point where the Kunar River joins the Kabul River. At around 600 metres above sea level, the plain is far lower and warmer than Kabul, and for centuries it has served as a winter retreat for people from the capital. Irrigation canals water groves of oranges and other citrus, olives, sugarcane, rice and wheat, giving the valley a green, almost subtropical look that surprises many first-time visitors. The province is divided into more than twenty districts, from the farming country of Behsud and Surkh Rod around the capital to the mountain districts of Khogyani, Achin and Shinwar beneath the Spin Ghar. Its main road is the historic route between Kabul and the Indian subcontinent, running east to the Torkham border crossing and the Khyber Pass. Visitors come for the mild winters, the spring blossom, the archaeological landscape around Hadda and the bazaars of Jalalabad.

In antiquity the Jalalabad plain was known as Nagarahara, and it lay on the main road between Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Armies, traders and pilgrims passed this way, probably including part of Alexander the Great's army in the 4th century BCE. In the early centuries CE the area became an important Buddhist centre. Monasteries and stupas stood around Hadda, south of present-day Jalalabad, and the site is famous for stucco and clay sculpture in the Gandharan style. Chinese pilgrims, including Xuanzang in the 7th century, described the shrines of Nagarahara. Much of Hadda was damaged in the late 20th century. After Islam spread through the region, the plain passed under successive dynasties, including the Ghaznavids and later the Mughals, who valued the road to India. In the 19th century the area saw fighting during the Anglo-Afghan wars, and the Treaty of Gandamak was signed in the province in 1879. In recent decades Nangarhar, like much of the country, has been affected by conflict.

Pashto is the main language of Nangarhar, spoken across the plain and the mountain districts, and Dari is widely understood in Jalalabad. Pashai is spoken in some northern valleys, such as Dara-i-Nur. Nearly everyone is Muslim, and village mosques, shrines and Sufi traditions are part of daily and religious life. Pashtun customs of hospitality remain strong, and in rural areas the jirga, a council of elders, still settles many local matters. Music is often played on the rubab and the dhol, and the attan, a circle dance, is performed at weddings and celebrations. Pashto poetry is widely loved, and gatherings for recitation and song are a familiar part of social life. Cricket is very popular in eastern Afghanistan, and Nangarhar is one of the game's strongholds, with matches played on any open ground. Wrestling, volleyball and kite flying are also common. The two Eids are the main festivals, and Nowruz is marked with family outings to gardens and orchards.

Nangarhar's landscape falls into three broad bands. Along the Kabul River lies a fertile, irrigated plain, broken by low rocky hills and stretches of gravel desert where the canals do not reach. The Kunar River enters from the north-east and joins the Kabul River near Jalalabad, and the Darunta Dam holds back a reservoir on the Kabul River west of the city. To the south the land rises through foothills to the Spin Ghar, or White Mountains, whose crest is snow-covered for much of the year. The higher slopes once carried extensive forests of pine, cedar and oak, and patches survive in the more remote valleys, although much has been cut for timber and fuel. Agriculture shapes most of the view: citrus and olive groves, palms in sheltered gardens, sugarcane, rice paddies, and fields of wheat and vegetables. State farms and a long irrigation canal were developed on the plain in the 1960s. Herons, kingfishers and other water birds can be seen along the rivers.

Nangarhar is best known for its oranges, sour oranges and other citrus, and fruit from the Jalalabad area is sold across the country in winter. Sugarcane is pressed into fresh juice in the warmer months and boiled down into gur, a dark unrefined sugar. Rice, olives, vegetables and honey also come from the province. The cooking is that of the Pashtun east. Chapli kebab, a flat, spiced patty of minced meat fried in a wide pan, is a local favourite, as are tikka kebabs of lamb grilled on skewers and karahi, meat cooked quickly with tomatoes and chillies in a deep, rounded pan. Qabuli palaw, the national rice dish with carrots and raisins, is served at weddings and to guests. Fried river fish is a popular winter dish in the province. Meals are eaten with fresh naan and green tea, and in summer with dogh, a salted yoghurt drink.

Nangarhar is not one of Afghanistan's great carpet-weaving centres, and its bazaars are mainly places of trade, stocked with goods from across the country and from Pakistan. Even so, some local crafts remain visible. Mats, baskets, fans and rope woven from the leaves of the dwarf palm, which grows on the dry hills of the east, are made in some villages. Embroidered caps, shawls and the long scarves worn by men are sold widely, along with leather sandals in the style common on both sides of the border. Metalworkers make and repair knives, cooking pots and farm tools, and plain earthenware water jars are still sold for keeping water cool in the summer heat. Visitors looking for carpets and kilims will mostly find pieces brought from the north and west of the country rather than local work.

Nangarhar's low altitude gives it a climate quite unlike that of Kabul. Winters are mild, with sunny days, cool nights and only occasional frost, which is why the province has long been a winter escape for people from the capital. From November to March it is pleasant for walking in the orchards and visiting sites around Jalalabad, while the Spin Ghar above is under snow. Spring arrives early. In early spring the citrus trees flower and the plain is at its greenest, and Nowruz in March usually falls in fine weather. By May the heat is building, and from June to August temperatures often pass 40°C, with humid spells when monsoon air reaches the area. Summer is a season for early mornings and shade rather than sightseeing. Autumn, from late September to November, brings cooler days and the rice and sugarcane harvests, followed by the start of the orange season.

Nangarhar is reached from Kabul on the main highway east, which descends through the Mahipar Pass and the Tang-e Gharu gorge, passes Sarobi and then follows the Kabul River past the Darunta reservoir into Jalalabad. The distance is about 150 kilometres, usually around three hours' driving. The same road continues east for roughly 75 kilometres to Torkham, the main border crossing with Pakistan, beyond which the Khyber Pass leads to Peshawar. From Jalalabad, roads run north-west to Mihtarlam in Laghman, about an hour away, and north-east along the Kunar River to Asadabad, around two hours' drive. Minor roads lead south into the districts below the Spin Ghar. Jalalabad has an airport, and domestic flights have served it at various times, although most travellers arrive by road. Road conditions and local circumstances change, so travellers should check current conditions before setting out.

Most of the province's accommodation is in Jalalabad, which has the widest choice in eastern Afghanistan. Because distances are short, many visitors base themselves in the city and make day trips to places such as Hadda and the Darunta reservoir. Outside the capital, options are basic and few. Some district centres and towns on the road to Torkham have simple rooms or roadside inns used by drivers and by people waiting to cross the border. In the villages, visitors are usually hosted by families or in the hujra, the guest room that a family or village keeps for male visitors, in keeping with the Pashtun tradition of hospitality. Such stays are arranged through local contacts rather than booked. In summer, a reliable power supply for fans or air conditioning is worth asking about before arranging a stay anywhere in the province.

Shared taxis and minibuses link Jalalabad with the district centres, the Torkham border and neighbouring provinces, leaving from vehicle stands when they fill up. Private cars with drivers can be hired for day trips to places such as Hadda or the Darunta reservoir. In the farming districts, people travel by pickup, tractor and trailer, motorcycle or on foot, and donkeys still carry loads along canal paths and the mountain tracks below the Spin Ghar. Motorised rickshaws are common in Jalalabad and in the larger bazaar towns. Journeys along the main highway are straightforward by road, while side valleys can involve rough tracks that turn to mud after rain and may be slow going for ordinary cars.