Kabul (34°32′ N 69°10′ E, Kâb'l, in Persian کابل) is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan with a population variously estimated at 2 to 4 million. It is an economic and cultural center strategically situated in a narrow valley along the Kabul River, high in the mountains before the Khyber Pass. Kabul is linked with the Tajikistan border via a tunnel under the Hindu Kush Mountains. Kabul's main products include ordnance, cloth, furniture, and beet sugar, though continual warfare since 1979 has limited the economic productivity of the city. Kabul remains one of the most mined cities in the world. Kabul's population is predominantly Tajik , 57%, and the city is the biggest and the most important Tajik settlement in the world, while the Pashtuns, 25%, are the largest ethnic minority in the city. Hazaras make up about 15% of the city's population, though both Pashtuns and Hazaras have moved to Kabul after it was made the capital of modern day Afghanistan during the reign of Timur Shah. Persian (فارسی), (local name in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan: Fârsi), Pârsi (older local name, but still used by some speakers), Tajik (a Central Asian dialect) or Dari (Another local name in Tajikistan, Afghanistan), is a language spoken in Iran,Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Bahrain. ... The Kabul River is a river than originates Sanglakh Range of Afghanistan and flows 700km to join the Indus River in Pakistan. ... The Khyber Pass (also called the Khaiber Pass in old documents) is the most important pass connecting Pakistan with Afghanistan. ... The Hindu Kush or Hindukush (هندوکش in Persian) is a mountain range in Afghanistan as well as in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. ... Ordnance is a general term for a quantity of military equipment, usually specifying the ammunition for artillery, bombs, or other large weapons. ... A variety of fabric. ... Furniture is the collective term for the movable objects which support the human body (seating furniture and beds), provide storage, and hold objects on horizontal surfaces above the ground. ... U.S. Army soldier removes fuse from a Russian-made mine to clear a mine field outside of Fallujah, Iraq. ... The Tajiks are one of the principal ethnic groups of Central Asia, and are primarily found in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. ... The Pashtuns (also Pushtun, Pakhtun, or ethnic Afghan; in referring to the period of the British Raj or earlier, sometimes Pathan) are an ethnic/religious group of people, living primarily in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India who follow Pashtunwali, their indigenous religion. ... Timur Shah (1748 - 18 May 1793), the second son of Ahmad Shah and the second of the Durrani Dynasty, was the King of Afghanistan from 16 October 1772 until his death. ...

Reconstruction

Public transportation in the city is currently overcrowded, with only 108 public buses for a population of 2-4 million. A US$23 million project to restore and expand the public electric buses system aims at some 50km of track and 50 vechicles. The current goal is to have buses running along one line by the end of 2004. Expertise and training will come from the Czech Republic, particularly Ostrov-Skoda. In addition, India, Iran and Japan have agreed to provide more regular buses for the city. The United States dollar, or American dollar, is the official currency of the United States. ...

As of June, 2004, three banks currently operate in Kabul: the Standard Chartered Bank, Punjab National Bank and the Habib Bank of Pakistan. The essential function of a bank is to provide services related to the storing of deposits and the extending of credit. ... Standard Chartered Bank (LSE: STAN), (HKSE: 2888) is a British bank headquartered in London with operations in many countries, especially in Asia and Africa. ... Punjab National Bank (PNB) is the second largest public sector bank in India with about 4500 branches and offices throughout the country. ...

The Kabul Hotel (in the center of Kabul) is being revamped by the AKDN at the cost of US$25 million. The first phase of the project is scheduled to open August, 2004. A 200-room Hyatt Regency hotel is scheduled to open by 2006. It will include conference rooms and a communications center. The landmark InterContinental Hotel is undergoing major reconstruction. Emirati Company Emaar and InterContinental Hotels have joined hands to refurbish the hotel and reopen it in 2006. The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) focuses on health, education, culture, rural development, institution-building and the promotion of economic development. ... Note: as an adjective (stressed on the second syllable instead of the first), august means honorable. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the legal term denoting a ruling or law of great import, see landmark case Originally, a landmark literally meant a geographic feature, used by explorers and others to find their way back through an area on a return trip. ... InterContinental Hotel, a hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan. ...

History

The first records of Kabul are a mention of the Kubha River around 1200BC and reference to a settlement named Kabura by the Persian Achaemenids around 300BC. Kabul was known as Chabolo in antiquity. The Bactrians founded the town of Parapamisidae near Kabul, but it was later ceded to the Mauryans in the first century. Kabul then fell under the sway of the Kushans, though they placed their summer capital at Bagram, north of Kabul. The city then came under Hindu control until its capture by the Arabs in 664. Over the next 600 years, the city was successively controlled by the Samanids of Bokhara, the Ghaznavid Empire, and the Ghorids of Bamiyan. Persia or Persian most often refer to: Persia The Persians, an ethnic group, also called Tajiks Persian language Persian (Pokémon) See also Iranian, Iranian peoples, Iranian languages and Aryan. ... Achaemenid Empire The Achaemenid Dynasty was a dynasty in the ancient Persian Empire, including Cyrus II the Great, Darius I and Xerxes I. At the height of their power, the Achaemenid rulers of Persia ruled over territories roughly emcompassing some parts of todays Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon... Bactria (Bactriana) was the ancient Greek name of the country between the range of the Hindu Kush (Caucasus Indicus) and the Amu Darya (Oxus), with the capital Bactra (now Balkh) in Afghanistan. ... The Mauryan empire (321 to 185 BCE), at its largest extent around 230 BCE. The Mauryan Empire was Indias first great unified empire. ... (1st century BC - 1st century - 2nd century - other centuries) The 1st century was that century which lasted from 1 to 100. ... Boundary of the Kushan empire, c. ... Aromatic vials in the shape of Greek gods, Begram, 2nd century. ... This article is about the Hindu religion; for other meanings of the word, see Hindu (disambiguation). ... Events September, Synod of Whitby Births Deaths Xuanzang, famous Chinese Buddhist monk. ... The Samanid dynasty (819-999) was a Persian dynasty in Central Asia, named after its founder Saman Khuda. ... For other uses, see Bukhara (disambiguation). ... The Ghaznavid Empire was a state in the region of todays Afghanistan that existed from 963 to 1187. ... Ghorids are people from Ghor province of Afghanistan. ... Bamiyan province is one of the thirty_four provinces of Afghanistan. ...

In the 13th century the Mongol horde passed through. In the next century, Kabul rose again as a trading center under the kingdom of Timur, who married the sister of Kabul's ruler. As Timurid power waned, the city was captured in 1504 and made into a capital by Babur and subsequent Mughal rulers. Haidar, an Indian poet that visited at the time wrote "Dine and drink in Kabul: it is mountain, desert, city, river and all else." (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... Statue of Timur in Samarkand, Uzbekistan Timur, (also known as Temur, Taimur, Timur Lenk, Timur i Leng, Tamerlane, Tamburlaine, or Taimur-e-Lang, which translates to Timur the Lame, as he was lame after sustaining an injury in battle) (1336–February 1405) was a renowned 14th century Tatar/Turco-Persian... Zahir-ud-din Mohammad Babur, (alternative spellings Zaheeruddin and Babar or Baber (February 14, 1483 - December 26, 1530) was a famous Turco-Persian conqueror of North India. ... The Mughal Empire (Urdu: مغل باد شاہ, Mughal Baadshah, alternative spelling Mogul, which is the origin of the word Mogul) of India was founded by the Turco-Persian leader Babur in 1526, when he defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans at the First Battle of Panipat. ...

Nadir Shah of Persia captured it in 1738. During the mid 18th century Ahmad Shah Durrani rose to power in Afghanistan, re-asserting Afghan rule. In 1772, his son Timur Shah inherited power and made Kabul the capital, even as their empire began to crumble. Tomb of Nader Shah Afshar, a popular tourist attraction in Mashad. ... Iran (Persian: ایران) is a Middle Eastern country located in Southwest Asia. ... Events January 1 - Bouvet Island is discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charles Bouvet de Lozier. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... See Ahmad Shah Qajar for the Persian ruler (1909-1925). ... 1772 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Timur Shah (1748 - 18 May 1793), the second son of Ahmad Shah and the second of the Durrani Dynasty, was the King of Afghanistan from 16 October 1772 until his death. ...

In 1826 the throne was claimed by Dost Mohammed, but it was taken by the British army in 1839 (see Afghan Wars), who installed the unpopular puppet Shah Shuja. 1841 saw a local uprising massacre both the British mission and the British army on their subsequent retreat to Jalalabad. In 1842 the British returned, plundering Bala Hissar in revenge before reterating to India. Dost Mohammed returned to the throne. 1826 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Dost Mahommed Khan (1793 - June 9, 1863) founded the Barakzai ruling dynasty in Afghanistan. ... 1839 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... A series of three wars between Britain and the Afghans in the 19th century and early 20th century was formerly called the Afghan Wars but is now referred to as the Anglo-Afghan wars perhaps to distinguish them from the civil strife in the 1980s. ... Shah Shuja (born June 23, 1616—died 1660) was the second son of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and empress Mumtaz Mahal. ... 1841 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Jalalabad (Persian: Jalālābād) is the capital of Nangarhar province in Afghanistan, 150 km east of Kabul near the Khyber Pass. ... 1842 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

The British returned in 1878 as the city was under Sher Ali Khan's rule, but their residents were massacred again. The British army came again in 1879 under General Roberts, partially destroying Bala Hissar before retreating to India. Amir Abdur Rahman was left in control of the country. 1878 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Shir Ali Khan (1825-1879) was the Emir of Afghanistan from 1863 to 1866 and from 1868 until his death. ... 1879 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Amir Abdur Rahman Khan Abdur Rahman Khan (c. ...

In the early 20th century King Amanullah reigned. His reforms included electricity and schooling for girls. He drove a Rolls Royce, and lived in Darul Aman Palace in south-west Kabul. In 1919 Amanullah announced Afghanistan's independence from Id Gah Mosque, after the Third Anglo-Afghan War. In 1928, Amir Habibullah Khan Khadim-e-Dine-Rasoolullah, a Tajik rebel, deposed Amanullah and took control of Kabul City and much of northern Afghanistan before being dethroned by being ousted by Nadir Khan, Amanullah's half-brother, restored rule. King Amanullah Khan was the bravest Afghan who defeated British Forces and Kicked them out of our great Afghanistan in 1919. ... Rolls-Royce is a set of companies, all deriving from the British automobile and aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Henry Royce and C.S. Rolls in 1906. ... Darul Aman Palace is a European-style palace in Kabul, Afghanistan. ... 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Id Gah Mosque is thew biggest mosque in Kabul where hundreds and Thousands of people offer the EID prayers twice a year. ... 1928 was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Tajik may refer to: Tajiks, an ethnicity with dwellers in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and China The Tajik language, the official language of Tajikistan Tajik, one of the of the 56 nationalities officially recognized by the Peoples Republic of China. ...

In 1932 Kabul University opened, and the 1950s saw the streets of the city paved with Russian assistance. 1932 is a leap year starting on a Friday. ... Kabul University is located in Kabul, Afghanistan and was founded 1931, opened 1932 and formally established in 1947. ... Millennia: 1st millennium - 2nd millennium - 3rd millennium // Events and trends The 1950s in Western society was marked with a sharp rise in the economy for the first time in almost 30 years and return to the 1920s-type consumer society built on credit and boom-times, as well as the...

After 1940, the city began to grow as an industrial center. 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

In the 1960s, Kabul developed a cosmopolitan mood. The first Marks and Spencer store in Central Asia was built there, and Kabul Zoo was inaugurated in 1967. The Zoo was maintained with the help of visiting German Zoologists, and focused on Afghan fauna. This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1960s. ... Marks and Spencer plc (known also as M&S and sometimes colloquially as Marks and Sparks) is the largest retailer in the United Kingdom by sales. ... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... 1967 - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ... Zoology (Greek zoon = animal and logos = word) is the biological discipline which involves the study of animals. ...

In 1975 an east-west electric trolley-bus system provided public transportation across the city. The system was built with assistance from Czechoslovakia. 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ...

Street photographer, July 2001

After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the U.S.S.R. occupied the city on December 23, 1979, turning it into their command center during the 10-year conflict between the Soviet-allied government and the mujahedeen rebels. The American embassy in Kabul was closed on January 30, 1989. Kabul fell into guerrilla hands after the 1992 collapse of the Mohammad Najibullah government. As these forces divided into rival warring factions, the city increasingly suffered. In December the last of the 86 trolley buses in the city came to a halt due to the conflict. At that time a system of 800 public buses continued to provided transportation to the population of about one million. Download high resolution version (780x1180, 80 KB)Photographer in Kabul. ... Download high resolution version (780x1180, 80 KB)Photographer in Kabul. ... The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was a 10-year war fought between the Soviet Red Army, Afghan, and foreign fighters in Afghanistan. ... Soviet redirects here. ... December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ... 1979 is a common year starting on Monday. ... A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one nation state present in another nation state to represent the sending state in the receiving State. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mohammad Najibullah (1947–September 27, 1996) was the fourth President of Afghanistan during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. ... December is the twelfth and last month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ...

At this time, Burhannudin Rabbani's Jamiat-e Islami (Islamic Council of Afghanistan) held power but the nominal prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Hezb-e Islami began a five year shelling of the city from its south, which lasted until 1996. Kabul was factionalised, and fighting continued between Jamiat-e Islami, Dostum and the Hazara Hezb-e Wahdat. Tens of thousands of civilians were killed and more fled as refugees. Burhanuddin Rabbani (born 1940), an ethnic Tajik, is the political leader of the Northern Alliance of Afghanistan. ... Jamiat-e-Islami was a criminal group led by Rabani and Massoud(biggest traitors). ... Gulbuddin Hekmatyar (born 1947 in Imam Saheb, Kunduz province, Afghanistan) is an Afghan warlord. ... A pure Islamic group led by Engineer Gulbuddin Hekmatyar to kick out the Godless Soviet Invadors. ... Hezb i Wahdat is a Shite Hazara resistance group led by Abdul Ali Mazari. ...

Kabul was captured by the Taliban in September, 1996, publicly lynching ex-president Najibullah, repressing the city's dangerously literate populace and effectively moving the capital to Kandahar. The Taliban (Pashtun and Persian: طالبان; students of Islam), also transliterated as Taleban, is an Islamist movement which ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, despite having diplomatic recognition from only three countries: the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. ... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Mohammad Najibullah (1947–September 27, 1996) was the fourth President of Afghanistan during the period of the communist Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. ... For the hamlet in Saskatchewan, Canada; see Kandahar, Saskatchewan. ...

The Taliban abandoned the city on November 12, 2001 due to extensive American bombing and Kabul came under the control of the Northern Alliance. After the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, it became the capital of the Afghan Transitional Administration. November 12 is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 49 days remaining. ... 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Northern Alliance (who prefer the title United Front) were a group of factions who had the common goal of toppling the Taliban regime that was formerly in power in Afghanistan. ... The United States, with support from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and the Northern Alliance, invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 as part of its War on Terrorism campaign. ... Elections were held on 9th October 2004, to decide upon a leader of the new government. ...

The city is served by Kabul International Airport. Kabul International Airport is located in Kabul, Afghanistan. ...

Attractions

The old section of Kabul is filled with bazaars nestled along its narrow, crooked streets. Kabul has a university, established in 1931, and a number of colleges. Cultural sites include a very good museum, Babur's tomb and gardens, the mausoleum of Mohammad Nadir Shah, the Minar-i-Istiklal (column of independence) built in 1919 after the Third Afghan War, the tomb of Timur Shah, and some important mosques. Bala Hissar, a fort destroyed in retaliation for the death of their envoy by the British in 1879, was restored as a military college. Outside the city proper is a citadel and the royal palace. Mohammed Nadir Shah was father of mohammed Zahir Shah who ruled Afghanistan from 1933 to 1973. ... The Rise of Dost Mohammad It was not until 1826 that the energetic Dost Mohammad was able to exert sufficient control over his brothers to take over the throne in Kabul, where he proclaimed himself amir. ... Timur Shah (1748 - 18 May 1793), the second son of Ahmad Shah and the second of the Durrani Dynasty, was the King of Afghanistan from 16 October 1772 until his death. ... A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ... 1879 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

Places of interest include West Kabul, the Kabul Museum, Darul Aman Palace, the Kabul Zoo, former home of the notable lion, Marjan, Babur Gardens, Bala Hisar, Shah Do Shamshera Mosque, the Afghan National Gallery, the Afghan National Archive, the Afghan Royal Family Mausoleum, the OMAR Mine Museum, Bibi Mahroo Hill, the Kabul Christian Cemetery, and Paghman Gardens. The Kabul Museum is a museum in Kabul, Afghanistan. ... Darul Aman Palace is a European-style palace in Kabul, Afghanistan. ... Marjan was a lion at the Kabul Zoo in Kabul Afghanistan who was maimed in a grenade attack. ... Located in Kabul, Afghanistan, the OMAR Mine Museum contains a collection of 51 types of land mines out of the 53 used in Afghanistan over the years. ... These days not much is left of Paghman Gardens, save for an Arc de Triomphe style arch. ...

• Afghan National Museum, notably displaying an impressive statue of Surya excavated at Khair Khana.
• Darul Aman Palace, destroyed former defence ministry.
• Kabul University, founded 1931.
• Tappe-i-Maranjan. Nearby hill where Buddhist statues and Graceo-Bactrian coins dating from the 2nd century BC have been found.
• Minaret of Chakari, with Buddhist swastika and both Mahayana and Theravada qualities.
• Paghman and Jalalabad valleys to the north and east of the city.

Founded in the 1920s, the Afghan National Museum is a place for storage and appreciation of old Afghan items of interest. ... In Hinduism, Surya is the chief solar deity, son of Dyaush or Indra. ... Darul Aman Palace is a European-style palace in Kabul, Afghanistan. ... Kabul University is located in Kabul, Afghanistan and was founded 1931, opened 1932 and formally established in 1947. ... Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... 1¢ euro coin A coin is generally a piece of hard material, generally metal and usually in the shape of a disc, which is used as a form of money. ... (3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - other centuries) (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC - 1st millennium AD) Events BC 168 Battle of Pydna -- Macedonian phalanx defeated by Romans BC 148 Rome conquers Macedonia BC 146 Rome destroys Carthage in the Third Punic War BC 146 Rome conquers... Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... The Swastika in decorative Hindu form The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles either clockwise or anticlockwise. ... Relief image of the bodhisattva Guan Yin (Avalokitesvara) from Mt. ... Theravada (Pali; Sanskrit: Sthaviravada) is one of the eighteen (or twenty) Nikāya schools that formed early in the history of Buddhism. ... Paghman is a town in the hills near Kabul, Afghanistan. ... Jalalabad (Persian: Jalālābād) is the capital of Nangarhar province in Afghanistan, 150 km east of Kabul near the Khyber Pass. ...

See also

• Kabul Golf Club
• Radio Kabul
• Timeline of Afghan history
• Camp Julien
• International Security Assistance Force
• List of cities in Afghanistan

The Kabul Golf Club is a nine-hole golf course located near the Karga Dam outside of Kabul, Afghanistan. ... Radio Kabul is the official radio station of Afghanistan. ... Afghanistan timeline Afghanistan timeline October 2004 Afghanistan timeline September 2004 Afghanistan timeline August 2004 Afghanistan timeline July 2004 Afghanistan timeline June 2004 Afghanistan timeline May 2004 Afghanistan timeline April 2004 Afghanistan timeline March 2004 Afghanistan timeline February 2004 Afghanistan timeline January 2004 Afghanistan timeline December 2003 Afghanistan timeline November 2003... Camp Julien is the main base for the Canadian contingent of ISAF in Kabul, United Kingdom and India. ... The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) is an international peacekeeping force in Kabul, Afghanistan consisting of about 6,500 personnel. ... The following are politically, geographically or economically important places, many of which are cities, of Afghanistan. ...

External links

• Places to Visit in Kabul
• Kabul Caravan: Kabul
• The Kabul Serena Hotel
• Darul-Aman Palace