Kandahar is a city in Afghanistan. It is also the capital of Kandahar Province. The city’s name has been derived from Gandhara, which is referred to in the epic of Mahabharata.
The city was founded in the 4th century BC by Alexander the Great, making it one of the oldest cities in the world.
The city was also known as Alexandroupolis, after its founder, Alexander. Though it went under the control of various Iranian tribes, the Pashtuns are considered the most prominent group in its history. Kandahar later went into the hands of the Abbasids, Turkic invaders, and Muslims. Arabs conquered it in the 7th century followed by Turkic Ghaznavids in the the10th century, Genghis Khan in the 12th century, and Timur in 1383. In the 16th century, Babur, the Mughal emperor took charge of the city and it became a part of the Pashtun state in 1708.
Ahmad Shah Durrani made it his capital in 1748 and in 1780 the capital was shifted to Kabul. With the help of US and Nato forces, the Central Afghan government was in an attempt to expand its authority throughout the area surrounding Kandahar but now the Taliban has announced its regime with acting Prime Minister Hasan Akhund.
Area & Location of Kandahar: Situated in southern Afghanistan, Kandahar is located at 31°37′? Latitude North and 65°42′? Longitude East. The city has Herat in the west, Ghazni, and Kabul in the east, and Quetta in Pakistan to its south. It has a population of 0.6 million and its province has 1.4 million inhabitants.
Tourist Attractions: Monuments and architecture are the main attractions in the city. This draws in plenty of tourists to it.
Transportation: Kandahar Airport (KDH) which handles domestic and international flights serves the city. Buses and taxis are the other forms of transport in the city.
Hotels: The city has a number of hotels that provide all facilities to its guests. These hotels offer world-class reception to their guests.
Places of Attraction: The number of monuments in the city invites people from far and wide. Chilzina View -Emperor Babur’s inscription, Zoar Shar -Old City, Baghipul -Picnic Area are the important places to be visited in the city. The are also many mosques and shrines like Khalka Sharifa -Prophet Mohammad’s cloak, Shrine of Baba Saab, Shrine of Mirwais Nika, and Shrine of Ahmad Shah Durrani that attract the attention of the visitors.
