Samangan

Samangan lies in northern Afghanistan between the mountains of the Hindu Kush and the plains of Balkh. It borders Balkh to the north and west, Baghlan to the east, Bamyan to the south and Sar-e Pol to the south-west. The Khulm River rises in the south of the province and flows north past the capital, Aybak, towards the plains of Balkh, and the main highway between Puli Khumri and Mazar-i Sharif crosses the province through Aybak. The province is mostly hills and mountains. In the north, around Aybak and Hazrat Sultan, the land is a mix of valley farmland and dry rolling hills; to the south, the districts of Ruyi Du Ab, Khuram wa Sarbagh and Dara-i Suf rise into rugged uplands towards Bamyan, with villages in narrow valleys and the coal mines for which Dara-i Suf is known. Samangan's best-known site is Takht-e Rustam, a Buddhist monastery and stupa carved out of solid rock on a hill outside Aybak, a rare surviving example of its kind in the region. The province's name is famous in Persian literature from the Shahnameh, where the hero Rustam meets Tahmina, the princess of Samangan. Visitors come for Takht-e Rustam, for the landscapes of the Khulm valley and the southern hills, and as a stop on the highway north.

The valleys of Samangan were part of ancient Bactria and lay on routes between the Bactrian plains and the passes of the Hindu Kush. Buddhism flourished here in the early centuries CE, and the rock-cut monastery and stupa of Takht-e Rustam near Aybak, generally dated to around the 4th and 5th centuries, belong to that period. The name Samangan appears in the Shahnameh, the Persian epic completed by Ferdowsi in the early 11th century, as the kingdom where Rustam married Tahmina and their son Sohrab was born, and local tradition links the town and the monastery with that story. Through the medieval period the area belonged to the wider region of Balkh, and Aybak was a caravan stop on the road between Balkh and the Hindu Kush. In later centuries Samangan was ruled from Balkh or by local Uzbek rulers before coming under the Afghan state in the 19th century. In its present form the province dates from the administrative reorganisations of the 20th century.

Uzbek and Dari are the main languages of Samangan, with Pashto spoken in some communities and the Hazaragi form of Dari in parts of the southern uplands. Most people are Sunni Muslims, and there are Shia communities in the south. Shrines are important in local religious life and draw visitors on holidays. Buzkashi is popular, with matches in Aybak and the district centres in winter and around Nowruz. The story of Rustam and Tahmina is part of the province's identity, and the Shahnameh is widely known. Music draws on both Uzbek and Dari traditions, with the dambura and the dutar at weddings and gatherings. Nowruz is celebrated with family visits, picnics in the orchards along the Khulm River, and dishes such as samanak and haft mewa, and the spring sowing and autumn harvest mark the farming year in the villages.

Samangan is a province of hills and valleys. The Khulm River runs north through its centre, and its valley around Aybak is green with orchards, fields of wheat and vegetables, and rows of poplars and willows; further north, the river cuts through narrow gorges on its way to the Balkh plains. The northern hills are open loess country, green and bright with tulips and other wild flowers in spring and dry and golden by summer, used for rain-fed wheat and grazing. To the south the land rises into the rugged uplands of Ruyi Du Ab, Khuram wa Sarbagh and Dara-i Suf, outliers of the Hindu Kush, with deep valleys, scattered wild pistachio and juniper on some slopes, and summer pastures. Wildlife in the hills includes wolves, foxes and birds of prey, and the high pastures are grazed by flocks of sheep and goats from late spring to autumn.

Samangan's food is the food of the northern countryside. Bread from clay ovens, rice dishes such as qabuli palaw and Uzbek-style palaw, mantu, ashak, shorwa and kebab are the staples, and dairy products, including yoghurt, qurut and butter, come from the flocks of the hills. The Khulm valley around Aybak has orchards of apricots, mulberries and grapes, and fruit is sold fresh in summer and dried for the winter. Melons and watermelons come from the lower valleys in summer, and wild pistachios and almonds are gathered from the hills in autumn. Green tea, often served with dried fruit, nuts and sugared almonds, is offered to every guest.

Carpets and kilims are woven in some village households and sold in Aybak and in the larger markets of Mazar-i Sharif. Women also embroider caps, cushion covers, prayer mats and dresses, and the colourful embroidery of the north is found in the bazaars. Other goods made locally include felt rugs and woollen items from the southern uplands, woven bags and saddle cloths, knives and tools from village blacksmiths, and horse gear for buzkashi riders. Coal from Dara-i Suf is the province's best-known product beyond its borders, though it is a commodity rather than a craft. For a wider choice of crafts, most visitors look to the bazaars of Mazar-i Sharif.

Spring, from late March to early June, is the best time to visit Samangan: the hills turn green and bloom with wild flowers, the orchards of the Khulm valley blossom, and Nowruz brings picnics and buzkashi. Autumn, from September to October, is also pleasant, with the fruit harvest, clear skies and comfortable temperatures for visiting Takht-e Rustam and walking in the hills. Summer, from late June to August, is hot and dry around Aybak and in the lower valleys, though the southern uplands are cooler. Winter, from December to February, is cold, with snow in the hills and in the southern districts, where roads can be blocked; Aybak itself sees frost and occasional snow.

The main highway between Kabul and Mazar-i Sharif crosses the province. From Kabul, the road crosses the Salang Pass to Puli Khumri and then turns west into Samangan, about 300 km to Aybak and usually five to six hours. From Aybak the highway continues north through the Khulm valley to Khulm in Balkh and then west to Mazar-i Sharif, about two hours further. Secondary roads run south from Aybak to the districts of Ruyi Du Ab, Khuram wa Sarbagh and Dara-i Suf, and on over rough mountain roads towards Bamyan; these are slower and can be affected by snow in winter. There is no airport in the province, and travellers arrive by road. Road conditions and local circumstances change, so travellers should check current conditions before setting out.

Accommodation in Samangan is limited and concentrated in Aybak, where a few hotels and guesthouses stand along the main highway and near the bazaar. They cater mainly to road travellers, traders and officials, and rooms are simple, with basic facilities. Many visitors to Takht-e Rustam make it a day trip from Mazar-i Sharif or a stop on the road between Kabul and the north rather than staying overnight. In the district centres and the southern uplands, there are few or no guesthouses, and travellers are usually hosted by families or stay in rooms above tea houses, arrangements best made through local contacts. Options everywhere outside Aybak are basic and few.

Along the highway, shared taxis and minibuses link Aybak with Puli Khumri, Khulm and Mazar-i Sharif, and buses between Kabul and Mazar-i Sharif pass through. In Aybak itself, zaranj rickshaws and taxis cover short trips. For the southern districts, shared four-wheel-drive vehicles run when roads allow, but hiring a car with a local driver is more practical, especially on the rough roads towards Dara-i Suf and Bamyan. In the high valleys, donkeys and horses carry goods and people along paths where vehicles cannot go, and many villages are reached only on foot in winter.