Takhar

Takhar Provicne is one of the verdured and agricultural provinces of Afghanistan, 400 km away from Kabul. It shares border with Badakhshan Province on the east, Kunduz Province on the west, Baghlan Province on the south and Parwan Province on the southeast. It also borders Tajikistan in its north. It has fairly warm summers and cold winters. Exquisite pictures from winter in Takhar Province Exquisite pictures from winter in Takhar Province Flood in Takhar Province Flood in Takhar Province Vaghnan Pool is one of the charms in Takhar Province that is surrounded by Takhar, Baghlan, Panjshir and Badakhshan Provinces. Vaghnan Pool is one of the charms in Takhar Province that is surrounded by Takhar, Baghlan, Panjshir and Badakhshan Provinces. Delightful landscapes in Takhar Province Delightful landscapes in Takhar Province The stunning nature of Takhar Province The stunning nature of Takhar Province Another beautiful view of Takhar Province Another beautiful view of Takhar Province A women wearing burqa in Takhar Province A women wearing burqa in Takhar Province Dasht-e-Robat in Takhar Province Dasht-e-Robat in Takhar Provine Mother and child in Dasht-e-Qala District, Takhar Province Mother and child in Dasht-e-Qala District, Takhar Province The beautiful nature of Takhar Province The beautiful nature of Takhar Province The Kunduz-Takhar road The Kunduz Takhar road Districts of Takhar Province Taleghan is a historical city and the center of Takhar Province in the northern Afghanistan. It is positioned in an earthquake prone region 403 km to the north of Kabul. This city is linked to Kabul through Khan Abad city (located in Kunduz Province) – Baghlan - Charikar (center of Parwan Province). Bazar in Taleghan City Bazar in Taleghan City A rainy day in Taleghan, Center of Takhar Province A rainy day in Taleghan, Center of Takhar Province Bridges in Taleghan City Bridges in Taleghan City In 1962, Taleghan City became the center of Takhar Province when Afghanistan was broken down into various more provinces in the 20th century. The city has been referred by different names in multiple records. Two different Taleghans have been indicated in most of the documents; one in Takharistan and the other in Jowzjan. The cereal crops and fruits are plentiful in Taleghan City; also, the city has been mentioned as the center for the cereal in "The Travels of Marco Polo." Beautiful rivers around Taleghan City Beautiful rivers around Taleghan City Appealing rivers in Taleghan City, Takhar Province Appealing rivers in Taleghan City, Takhar Province A bridge on the river in Taleghan City A bridge on the river in Taleghan City Fields around Taleghan City Fields around Taleghan City Rice farms in Taleghan City, Takhar Province Rice farms in Taleghan City, Takhar Province Takhar Province consists of 16 districts including: Warsuj District Spring in Warsuj District Spring in Warsuj District Warsuj District Warsuj District Warsuj District – (Kalacha – Jamat Khana) Warsuj District – (Kalacha – Jamat Khana) Farkhar District The exquisite nature of Farkhar District in Takhar Province The exquisite nature of Farkhar District in Takhar Province The beautiful Farkhar Valley in Takhar Province The beautiful Farkhar Valley in Takhar Province The Farkhar-Takhar Road The Farkhar-Takhar Road The Farkhar-Takhar Road The Farkhar-Takhar Road A school in Farkhar District A school in Farkhar District Kulfagan District Mountains nearby Kulfagan District Mountains nearby Kulfagan District Dasht-e-Qala District Dasht-e-Qala, Takhar Province Dasht-e-Qala, Takhar Province Chah Aab District The beautiful nature of Chah Aab District The beautiful nature of Chah Aab District The alluring fields of Chah Aab District The alluring fields of Chah Aab District Baharak District Baharak District Baharak District Khwaja Baha-o-Din District The beautiful nature of Khwaja Baha-o-Din The Beautiful nature of Khwaja Baha-o-Din Khwaja Baha-o-Din District Khwaja Baha-o-Din District Rustaq District Rustaq District Rustaq District Bangi District Bangi District Bangi District Bangi River Bridge in Takhar Province which connects 15,000 people to the central district. Bangi River Bridge in Takhar Province which connects 15,000 people to the central district. Khwaja Ghar, Hazar Samch, Yanqi Qala, Iskamish, Chaal, Namak Aab and Dar Qad are other districts in Takhar Province. Historical monuments in Takhar Province Takhar is an historical region which dates back to the period of Alexander the Great. It is an historic area in the heart of Asia. Also, Ai-Khanoum/Lady Moon is one of the most important places in this historical province. A view of Ai-Khanoum/Lady Moon A view of Ai-Khanoum/Lady Moon Ai-Khanoum is the name of a Greek city in Takhar Province in the northern Afghanistan that goes back 2200 years to the Alexanderia era and primarily built with the aim of facilitating trade among Asia-Europe. It is located in Dasht-e-Qala District where Amu Darya and Kokcha rivers meet. The city has been founded by Alexander the Great, the footstone of which dates back to 300 years B.C. and the only available item in the world undoubtedly touched by Alexander the Great. Takhar Province has many historical places the most prominent of which are Khwaja Baha-o-Din Shrine, Khwaja Khazar Shrine, Vaqif Hazrat Shrine, Khwaja Changal Shrine, Pir-e Farkhar and Qala Zobin.

The plains of Takhar were part of ancient Bactria, and the province's name recalls Tokharistan, the name given to this region in the early medieval period. At Ai-Khanoum, on the Panj in the north-east, a Greek city flourished in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE, with a theatre, a gymnasium, a palace and temples. French archaeologists excavated it in the 1960s and 1970s, and the site has since been badly damaged by looting. In later centuries the region came under the Kushans, the Hephthalites and the early Islamic dynasties of Khorasan, and Marco Polo passed through Taloqan in the late 13th century. In the 18th and early 19th centuries much of the area was held by Uzbek rulers as part of the territory known as Qataghan, before it was brought under the Afghan state in the 19th century. Takhar became a separate province in 1964, when Qataghan was divided. Like much of the north, it saw serious fighting in the decades of conflict after 1979.

Dari and Uzbek are the main languages of Takhar, and many people speak both; Pashto is spoken in some villages. Most people are Sunni Muslims, and local shrines, often on hilltops or beside springs, are places of pilgrimage and family outings. Buzkashi is followed passionately in Takhar, and large matches are held through the winter and around Nowruz, drawing riders and crowds from across the province. Wrestling is also popular. Music draws on both Dari and Uzbek traditions, with the dambura, the dutar and the doira frame drum at weddings and gatherings. Nowruz is celebrated with family visits, special dishes and outdoor picnics, and in the farming districts the spring sowing and the autumn harvest mark the year. Hospitality to guests is a point of pride in village life, and a visitor is usually offered tea before anything else.

Takhar's landscape runs from river plains in the north to high mountains in the south. Along the Panj and the Amu Darya, the lowlands of districts such as Darqad, Yangi Qala and Dasht-e Qala have reed beds, stands of riverine woodland and irrigated fields. The centre is a belt of loess hills and broad valleys, green with wheat in spring and dry and golden by midsummer, where rain-fed farming depends on the winter and spring rains. The Taloqan River and its tributaries water rice fields, orchards and melon fields around the capital and Rustaq. In the south, the Farkhar and Warsaj valleys rise into the Hindu Kush, with walnut, mulberry and other fruit trees around the villages, patches of woodland on the slopes and high pastures used in summer. Snow closes the upper valleys for much of the winter, and spring meltwater feeds the rivers that irrigate the plains below.

Takhar is a farming province, and its food reflects the harvest. Wheat bread from clay ovens accompanies every meal, and rice from the irrigated valleys goes into palaw, from the festive qabuli palaw with carrots and raisins to Uzbek-style palaw cooked with meat, carrots and oil in a large pot. Mantu and ashak dumplings, shorwa soup and kebab are common in the bazaars. In summer the markets are piled with melons and watermelons from the northern plains, along with grapes, apricots and mulberries. Walnuts, dried mulberries and raisins from the southern valleys are sold through the winter. Dairy products, including yoghurt, qurut and fresh cream, come in from the villages, and green tea is served with sugared almonds, dried fruit or sweets.

Takhar is known more for its farm produce than for fine crafts, but village households keep several traditions alive. Women embroider caps, cushion covers, prayer mats and wall hangings, and some families weave carpets and flat-woven kilims, mostly in the plains districts, which are sold in Taloqan and further afield. Tailors in the bazaars make the striped chapan coats worn by men across the north, and saddlers and leatherworkers make harness, whips and other gear for horses, a reminder of the importance of buzkashi. Knives, tools and household metalwork are also made locally, and baskets and mats woven from reeds and willow are sold in rural markets.

Spring, from late March to early June, is the most attractive season. The plains and hills turn green, wild flowers and blossom appear, and Nowruz brings buzkashi matches and outdoor gatherings. Rain can make unpaved roads muddy in March and April. Summer is hot and dusty on the northern plains in July and August, though the southern valleys are cooler and good for walking. It is also the season for melons and fruit. September and October are pleasant, with the harvest, cooler nights and clear skies. Winter, from December to February, is cold, with snow on the hills and frequent fog or frost on the plains, and the mountain districts of the south can be cut off by snow. The buzkashi season is at its height in the winter months, for those willing to brave the cold.

From Kabul the road crosses the Salang Pass to Puli Khumri and continues north towards Kunduz, then turns east through Khanabad to Taloqan. The journey is about 400 km and usually takes seven to eight hours or more, depending on traffic and conditions on the Salang. Taloqan is about an hour and a half from Kunduz by road. From Taloqan the main road continues east through Keshem to Fayzabad in Badakhshan, and other roads lead north to Rustaq, Chah Ab and the districts along the Amu Darya, and south into the Farkhar valley. Taloqan has an airport (TQN), and domestic flights have served it at times. The nearest major road crossing into Tajikistan is the bridge at Sher Khan Bandar in neighbouring Kunduz. Road conditions and local circumstances change, so travellers should check current conditions before setting out.

Taloqan has most of the province's accommodation: a handful of hotels and guesthouses in the town centre, along the main road and near the bazaar, used mainly by traders, officials and travellers heading to or from Badakhshan. Rooms are generally plain, and facilities such as hot water and heating vary. In the district centres there are few or no dedicated places to stay. Travellers may find simple rooms above tea houses or shops, or be hosted by local families, which is common in rural areas where hospitality to guests is expected. In the southern valleys, accommodation is basic and arranged locally. Many travellers passing through to Fayzabad stay in Taloqan or Kunduz and make day trips from there.

Within Taloqan, zaranj rickshaws and shared taxis are the usual way to get around, along with private taxis that can be hired by the trip. Bicycles and motorcycles are common on the flat roads of the plains. Shared taxis and minibuses link Taloqan with Kunduz, Fayzabad and the main district centres, leaving from stands around the bazaar when full. For the riverside districts in the north, the Ai-Khanoum area, or the mountain valleys of Farkhar and Warsaj, hiring a car with a local driver is the practical choice, and four-wheel drive is useful on unpaved tracks, especially after rain or snow. In the villages, donkeys and horses still carry loads and people along paths where vehicles cannot go.