Travel Guide Travel Guide to the countries of the world
Afghanistan is a country rich in traditions, history and natural beauty. There are mainly green valleys and rugged desert plateaus, majestic mountains and desert plains. Afghanistan also retains interesting vestiges of ancient civilizations. And finally, the town is characterized by an ethnic mosaic made of populations rich in original and unspoiled traditions and folklore. So there are many tourist attractions in Afghanistan.
Unfortunately many of the country’s historical monuments have been damaged in modern times. Despite this, UNESCO has included two Afghan sites in the world heritage of humanity: the Minaret and the Archaeological Remains of Jam (2002), and the Cultural Landscape and the Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (2003). Both sites have been included in the list of sites in danger due to the state of war in which the country is currently located.
A COUNTRY MOST CLOSED TO TOURISM
Other interesting historical places are the Afghan cities. Like Herat, where Alexander’s recently restored citadel is located. A fortification work erected originally by Alexander the Great and modified over the centuries. And like Kandahar, a city founded by Alexander the Great and the first capital of Afghanistan. Here are the remains of the ancient citadel and the tomb of Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founder of the Durrani Empire and the founder of modern Afghanistan.
The 65m high Minaret of Jam is an amazing structure dating back to the 12th century. Covered by an elaborate brick structure with a blue tile inscription at the top, the structure is noteworthy for the quality of its architecture and for its decoration. The minaret represents the culmination of the architectural and artistic tradition in this region of Afghanistan. Its beauty is accentuated by its position in a dramatic and deep river valley between very high mountains, in the heart of the province of Ghur.
The cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamiyan Valley are part of the Buddhist cultural heritage of Bakhtria. In this valley are the remains of numerous Buddhist monasteries and shrines, as well as fortified buildings from the Islamic period. Two standing Buddha statues were unfortunately destroyed by the Taliban in March 2001.
Unfortunately, today most of the tourist attractions of Afghanistan are unreachable for the simple tourist. The only area open to tourism in the country today is the Wakhan corridor. A long, narrow strip of land in the far north-east of Afghanistan. This is in fact the area on the border with Pakistan, Tajikistan, China and Afghanistan where the Himalaya, Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun and Hindu Kush chains meet.
