Uruzgan

Uruzgan Province lies in south-central Afghanistan, where the mountains of the central highlands fall away towards the plains of Kandahar. It borders Daykundi to the north, Ghazni to the east, Zabul to the south-east, Kandahar to the south and Helmand to the west. The capital, Tarinkot, lies in a broad valley in the south of the province. The landscape is one of steep, bare mountains cut by narrow valleys, where rivers, springs and karez irrigate small fields and orchards. The Helmand River flows through the western district of Deh Rawood, and the other districts include Chora, Khas Uruzgan and Shahid-e Hassas, each centred on its own valley. Uruzgan is one of the less visited parts of the country. Its appeal lies in its mountain scenery, its orchards of almonds, apricots and other fruit, and the rural life of its villages, where Pashtun and Hazara communities have lived as neighbours for generations. Roads are limited, and travel between valleys can be slow.

Uruzgan has long been a highland borderland between the farming plains around Kandahar and the mountains of the Hazarajat to the north. Its valleys have been farmed for a very long time, but the area has seen little archaeological study and rarely features in the written record before the modern era. In the 1890s, during the reign of Amir Abdur Rahman Khan, the region was the scene of a major uprising and of the campaigns that followed it, which brought the area firmly under the authority of Kabul and reshaped landholding in its valleys. In 2004 the northern districts were separated to form the new province of Daykundi, and Uruzgan took on its present, smaller shape. The province was affected by prolonged conflict in recent decades.

Pashto is the most widely spoken language, and Dari, in its Hazaragi form, is spoken in some of the valleys. Most people are Muslims, both Sunni and Shia, and mosques and small shrines are found in almost every village. Hospitality is central to village life: guests are offered tea and a meal before any business is discussed, and councils of elders play a large part in settling local affairs. Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha are the main festivals, and Nowruz marks the new year in spring. Weddings bring music, drumming and dancing, and Pashto and Dari poetry and folk song are part of everyday entertainment. Cricket and volleyball are popular with young men, and kite flying is a common pastime in the windy spring months.

Uruzgan is mountainous, with higher and more rugged ranges in the north and east and land that slopes gradually down towards the south-west. Narrow valleys carry streams that drain towards the Helmand, which runs through the west of the province lined with irrigated fields. Away from the Helmand, farming depends on streams, springs and karez. Orchards of almonds, apricots, pomegranates and grapes are a feature of the lower valleys, and wheat and other grains are grown on small terraced and irrigated plots. Above the valleys, sparse pasture supports flocks of sheep and goats, and in spring the slopes turn green for a few weeks after the rains and snowmelt before the long, dry summer.

Uruzgan's cooking is rural and seasonal, built around wheat bread, mutton, dairy products and the fruit of its orchards. Fresh naan is baked daily in clay ovens, and meals of meat and rice are usually reserved for guests and celebrations. Almonds and apricots are the best-known produce, eaten fresh, dried for winter or sold in the bazaars of Tarinkot and Kandahar. Pomegranates, grapes and figs ripen in late summer and autumn. Qurut, dried yoghurt, keeps through the winter and is softened in water to make a sauce for bread. Shorwa, a broth of meat and vegetables, and kebabs from the bazaar are everyday fare, and sweet green tea is offered at every meeting.

Uruzgan is not well known for crafts sold beyond the province. Its bazaars sell cloth, clothing, household goods and tools, with embroidered caps, shawls and prayer beads brought in from Kandahar. Some households weave woollen cloth, kilims and bags and make embroidered items for family use, and herders produce felt and other woollen goods. These are rarely made for sale, but they can occasionally be found in the bazaars. Dried fruit and nuts, particularly almonds and apricots, are the products that most visitors take away.

Uruzgan has hot, dry summers and cold winters, with sharper contrasts in the higher north and east. From June to August the lower valleys around Tarinkot and Deh Rawood are hot, while the mountains stay cooler. Winter brings frost across the province and snow in the uplands, which can block mountain roads for days at a time. The best seasons are April to May, when the orchards are in leaf and blossom and the streams run full, and September to October, when the fruit harvest comes in and temperatures fall. Nowruz in late March often coincides with the first warm days of the year.

The main road into Uruzgan runs north from Kandahar to Tarinkot, a distance of roughly 150 km. From Kabul, travellers usually take the highway south to Kandahar and then turn north, about 630 km in all and a long day on the road. Other routes link Tarinkot with Deh Rawood and Helmand to the west, and mountain roads continue north towards Daykundi and east towards Ghazni. Many are unpaved and slow, especially in winter. Tarinkot Airport, just outside the capital, has served domestic flights from Kabul and Kandahar, a much shorter journey than the road. Road conditions and local circumstances change, so travellers should check current conditions before setting out.

Accommodation in Uruzgan is very limited. Tarinkot has a small number of basic hotels and guesthouses, used mostly by officials, aid workers and traders, and their facilities are simple. District centres such as Deh Rawood and Chora have little more than tea houses, where travellers may be able to eat and rest. In the villages, visitors are generally hosted by local families, in keeping with the strong tradition of hospitality, and such stays are best arranged in advance through local contacts.

Shared taxis and minibuses link Tarinkot with Kandahar and with the district centres, leaving from the bazaar area when full. On rough mountain roads, pick-up trucks and four-wheel-drive vehicles carry both passengers and goods. In Tarinkot, zaranj rickshaws and motorbikes are the usual way to cover short distances. Hiring a car with a driver who knows the roads is the most practical option for visitors, and in remote valleys donkeys are still used to carry loads along footpaths.