Nimruz

Nimruz province lies in the far south-west of Afghanistan. It borders Iran to the west and Pakistan to the south, with Farah to the north and Helmand to the east. Its name, usually translated as midday or half a day, is old: medieval Persian writers used Nimruz as a name for the region of Sistan. The province is the Afghan part of the Sistan basin, a low, flat inland drainage where the Helmand River, at the end of its long course from the central highlands, turns north and spreads into the Hamun wetlands on the Iranian border. The Khash Rud also flows into the basin. Beyond the river lands lie vast deserts: the stony Dasht-e Margo to the east and the salt flats of the Gawd-e Zirreh depression in the south. The capital, Zaranj, is a busy trading city on the Iranian border, joined to the Kandahar–Herat highway at Delaram by a paved road. Most of the population lives along the lower Helmand, around Zaranj and in district centres such as Chakhansur and Kang. Visitors find a stark, open landscape, the ruins of forts, towns and canals from the long history of Sistan, and a lively border economy.

Nimruz lies at the heart of historic Sistan, a region whose name recalls the Saka peoples who settled here in antiquity. Earlier still it formed part of Drangiana, known in Old Persian as Zranka. The fertile delta of the Helmand supported towns and elaborate irrigation works for thousands of years. In Persian epic tradition Sistan is the homeland of the hero Rostam, whose deeds are told in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. In the 9th century the region was the base of the Saffarid dynasty, founded by Ya'qub ibn al-Layth, who is often credited with encouraging the use of Persian at court. Later invasions, above all Timur's campaigns in the late 14th century, wrecked much of the irrigation system, and many settlements were abandoned to the desert. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries the Sistan region was divided between Persia and Afghanistan through boundary arbitrations. The province was long known as Chakhansur, after its former centre, before taking the name Nimruz.

Nimruz is home to Baluch, Pashtun, Tajik and other communities, and Baluchi, Pashto and Dari are all widely spoken; many people speak two or three languages. Close ties with Iran mean that Persian television, music and goods are part of everyday life, especially in Zaranj. Religious life follows the Islamic calendar, with Ramadan and the two Eids widely observed, and local shrines are visited for prayers and vows. Nowruz is celebrated with family visits and outings as the weather turns warm. Baluch music, with the bowed suroz and long sung tales, is heard at weddings and gatherings alongside Pashto and Dari songs. Hospitality to guests and strong family and tribal ties remain central to social life, and a visitor is usually offered tea before anything else is discussed.

Nimruz is among the hottest and driest parts of Afghanistan. Most of the province is open desert: the gravel and stone of the Dasht-e Margo, dune fields shaped by the wind, and the white salt crust of the Gawd-e Zirreh, a vast depression that receives water from the Hamun only in years of exceptional flood. The lower Helmand River and its canals create a narrow green strip of wheat fields, melon patches and tamarisk thickets. North of Zaranj, the Hamun wetlands, when filled, are a mosaic of shallow lakes and reed beds that attract migratory waterbirds, but they have shrunk or dried out in many years of drought. A dam at Kamal Khan on the lower Helmand, completed in recent years, stores and diverts water for irrigation. The wind of 120 days blows hard from about June to September, moving sand and dust across the basin.

Food in Nimruz reflects its mix of communities and its closeness to Iran. Bread baked in the tandoor or on a griddle, rice dishes such as qabuli palaw, kebab, and stews of lamb, beans and vegetables are everyday staples. Baluch households roast lamb slowly for guests and celebrations, and the flocks of the desert provide yoghurt, butter and qurut. The Helmand delta grows wheat, melons and watermelons, and the summer melon harvest is a feature of the bazaars. In wetland villages, fish from the Hamun and the river channels have long been part of the diet in years when the water is high. Tea, often black and sweet, is offered at every visit, with dried fruit, sweets or biscuits.

Baluch weavers in Nimruz and the wider Sistan region make rugs and kilims in dark reds, blues and browns with geometric designs, as well as woven bags, tent bands and trappings for camels. Baluch embroidery, worked in fine, dense stitches on the fronts and cuffs of women's dresses, is a valued skill passed down within families. Around the wetlands, reeds from the Hamun have long been used to make mats, baskets and simple shelters. In the bazaars of Zaranj, these local goods sit alongside a large trade in imported clothing, household goods and electronics brought across the Iranian border.

The best time to travel in Nimruz is from November to March, when days are warm to mild and nights are cool, occasionally cold in December and January. Rainfall is very low, and most of it comes in short winter showers. Spring is brief: by April temperatures are rising quickly, and from May to September the heat is intense, frequently above 45°C in midsummer. The wind of 120 days, strongest from about June to September, brings sandstorms that reduce visibility on the roads and can disrupt flights. In years when the Hamun holds water, late winter and early spring are when migratory birds are most likely to be seen. October marks the return of more bearable conditions.

Most travellers reach Nimruz by road from the Kandahar–Herat highway. At Delaram, on the highway, a paved road of about 215 km runs south-west across the desert to Zaranj; it was completed in 2009. Kabul to Zaranj is about 970 km via Kandahar and Delaram, usually two long days, and Kandahar to Zaranj is about 490 km. Zaranj's airport (ZAJ) has been served by domestic flights. Zaranj is also a major border crossing with Iran, linked by a bridge over the border river to the Iranian side of Sistan. The border with Pakistan to the south runs through remote desert and is not a usual route for travellers. Road conditions and local circumstances change, so travellers should check current conditions before setting out.

Accommodation in Nimruz is concentrated in Zaranj, which has a number of hotels and guesthouses serving traders, drivers and travellers crossing the border, most of them simple to mid-range. Elsewhere in the province there are very few options. Delaram, on the main highway at the start of the road to Zaranj, has roadside inns and eating houses where drivers rest and basic rooms are sometimes available. In district centres such as Chakhansur and Kang, and in the villages along the Helmand, there is nothing for visitors beyond the hospitality of local families, which should be arranged in advance through trusted contacts. Travellers should carry water and expect long distances between services.

Shared taxis and minibuses run between Zaranj and Delaram and on to Kandahar and Herat, and also connect Zaranj with district centres along the river. They leave from stands near the bazaar when full. Within towns, motor rickshaws and motorbikes are the most common way to get around. Off the paved roads, travel is by pickup or four-wheel-drive vehicle across desert tracks that drifting sand can hide, so hiring an experienced local driver is the sensible choice. In the wetland villages, small boats have traditionally been used on the Hamun when it holds water, and camels and donkeys are still kept by herding families.