Herat

Herat, classically called the Aria, is a city in western Afghanistan, in the province also known as Herat. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan. Situated in a fertile area, Herat was traditionally known for its wine. It is the third largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of 349,000 (2006 official estimate).

Herat is situated favorably on the ancient and historic trade routes of the Middle East, South Asia, Pakistan,China, India and Europe. The roads from Herat to Iran, Turkmenistan, Mazar-e Sharif and Kandahar are still strategically important.

Herat dates back to ancient times, but its exact age remains unknown. In Achaemenid times (ca. 550-330 BC), the surrounding district was known as Haraiva (in Old Persian), and in classical sources the region was correspondingly known as Aria (Areia). In the Zoroastrian Avesta, the district is mentioned as Haroiva. The name of the district and its main town is derived from that of the chief river of the region, the Hari River (Old Iranian Harayu "with velocity"), which traverses the district and passes just south (5 km) of modern Herat. The naming of a region and its principal town after the main river is a common feature in this part of the world. (Compare the adjoining districts/rivers/towns of Arachosia and Bactria.)

The Persian Achaemenid district of Aria is mentioned in the provincial lists that are included in various royal inscriptions, for instance, in the Behistun inscription of Darius I (ca. 520 BC). Representatives from the district are depicted in reliefs, e.g., at the royal Achaemenid tombs of Naqsh-e Rustam and Persepolis.

From 1718 until 1863, there were various battles fought between the natives of the city and the Afghans until the city became part of present-day Afghanistan. Ahmad Shah Durrani took possession of Herat in 1750, which became part of the Durrani Empire after almost a year of siege and bloody conflict. In 1824, the city became effectively independent when the country was split in three to resolve a succession struggle. The city was taken back by the Persians in 1852 and again in 1856; both times the British helped to reverse the attempt, the second time through the Anglo-Persian War. The city was taken by Dost Mohammed Khan in 1863, making it part of a broader "Afghan state".

Most of the Musallah complex in Herat was cleared in 1885 by the British army to get a good line of sight for their artillery against Russian invaders who never came.

During the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan Herat was used by the Soviets. Even before the Soviet invasion at the end of 1979, there was a substantial presence of Soviet advisors in the city with their families. From 10 to 20 March 1979 the army in Herat under the control of Ismail Khan mutinied and some 35 Soviet citizens were killed. The Afghan air force bombed the city, causing massive destruction and some 10,000 deaths and it was recaptured with tanks and paratroopers.

Ismail Khan became the leading Mujahedin commander in Herat and after the departure of the Soviets he became governor of Herat. In September 1995 the city was captured by the Taliban and Ismail Khan fled. However, after the US invasion of Afghanistan, on November 12, 2001, it was liberated from the Taliban by the Northern Alliance and Ismail Khan returned to power (see Battle of Herat). In 2004, Mirwais Sadeq Khan, who was Aviation Minister of Afghanistan and the son of Ismail Khan, was ambushed and killed in Herat. More than 200 people were arrested on suspicion of involvement.

Herat is presently a part of Afghanistan's new central government, which is led by US backed President Hamid Karzai. There are also NATO peacekeeping forces present in and around the city providing security led by Italy.

Famous people from Herat
* Khwajah Abdullah Ansari, a famous Persian poet of the 11th century
* Nur ud-Din Jami, a famous Persian Sufi poet of the 15th century
* Nizam ud-Din ?Ali Shir Nava'i, famous poet and politician of the Timurid era
* Ustad Kamal ud-Din Behzad, the greatest of the medieval Persian painters
* Gowharšad, wife of Shahrukh Mirza
* Mirza Shahrukh bin Timur Barlas, Emperor of the Timurid Dynasty of Herat
* Mirza Husseyn Bayqarah, Emperor of the Timurid Dynasty of Herat
* Shah Abbas The Great, Emperor of Safavid Persia
* Abbas Gholi Khan Shamlu (Governor of Herat, 1812)
* Mowlana Fayzani, famous reformer and philosopher of the 20th century
* Amir Jan Sabouri - famous composer and singer from Adraskan District
* Valy Hedjasi - famous singer, born in Mashhad but a native of Herat