Kandahar

Kandahar
Name	Kandahar
Native name	کندهار
Settlement type	City
Coordinates	31, 37, N, 65...
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name	Afghanistan
Subdivision type1	Province
Subdivision name1	Kandahar Province
Established title	Founded
Established date	c. 330 BCE
Founder	Alexander the Great
Government type	Provincial capital
Leader title	Mayor
Leader name	N/A
Area total km2	273.37
Elevation m	1010
Population total	651,484
Population as of	2021
Population density km2	auto
Timezone	Afghanistan Standard Time
Utc offset	+4:30
Postal code type	Postal code
Postal code	38XX
Area code	30
Blank name	Main languages
Blank info	Pashto, Dari
Website	www.kandahar.gov.af

Kandahar is a major city in southern Afghanistan and the capital of Kandahar Province. It is the second-largest city in the country and a historically significant cultural and economic hub, often considered the traditional heartland of the Pashtun people. Founded in antiquity, the city has been a strategic prize for empires from the Achaemenid Empire to the modern Taliban, serving as a key crossroads on trade routes between Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent.

History

The region's history dates to the ancient Arachosia satrapy of the Achaemenid Empire, with the city itself traditionally said to have been founded by Alexander the Great around 330 BCE. It later became part of the Maurya Empire under Ashoka, who left behind the famous Kandahar Bilingual Rock Inscription. For centuries, it was controlled by successive dynasties including the Sasanian Empire, the Arab Umayyads, and the Ghaznavids. In 1747, Ahmad Shah Durrani was crowned as the first Emir of Afghanistan here, making it the first capital of the Durrani Empire. The city was a focal point during the Anglo-Afghan Wars, notably the Battle of Maiwand in 1880, and was heavily contested during the Soviet–Afghan War and the subsequent civil conflicts. It served as the de facto capital and spiritual center for the Taliban during their rule from 1996 and again after their return to power in 2021, following the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021).

Geography and climate

The city is situated on the Arghandab River at an elevation of about 1,010 meters in a fertile plain within the larger Registan Desert region. It lies along important historical trade routes connecting Herat to the west with Kabul and the Khyber Pass to the east, and Quetta in Pakistan to the south. The climate is classified as hot desert, featuring extremely hot, dry summers with temperatures often exceeding 40°C, and mild, relatively wetter winters where temperatures can occasionally drop near freezing, with most of the scant annual precipitation falling between December and April.

Demographics and culture

The population is predominantly Pashtun, primarily from tribes such as the Durrani and Ghilji confederacies, with smaller communities of Tajiks, Hazaras, and Baloch people. The primary languages are Pashto and Dari. Culturally, it is a conservative stronghold of Pashtunwali, the traditional Pashtun code of honor. The city is a major center for Afghan poetry and music, and is renowned for its distinctive Kandahari pomegranates and the high-quality hand-woven rugs that bear its name. Important religious sites include the revered Shrine of the Cloak, believed to house a cloak worn by the Prophet Muhammad.

Economy

The economy is primarily agricultural, centered on irrigated crops like pomegranates, grapes, apricots, and wheat, supported by ancient qanat water systems. It is a major hub for the production and export of dried fruits, especially through trade networks into Pakistan and Iran. The city also has a significant transit trade and smuggling economy due to its proximity to the border, dealing in goods ranging from electronics to automotive parts. Limited industrial activity includes fruit processing, cotton ginning, and carpet weaving, though decades of conflict have severely hampered larger-scale development and foreign investment.

Government and infrastructure

As the provincial capital, the city houses the headquarters of the Kandahar Province government and is a key administrative center for the Taliban's southern command. Key infrastructure includes Kandahar International Airport, a dual-use civilian and military airfield that was a major NATO base during the international intervention. The city is connected by the Afghanistan Ring Road to Kabul and Herat, and by highway to Spin Boldak on the Pakistan border. Essential services such as power, water, and healthcare remain underdeveloped and unreliable, heavily dependent on international aid organizations like the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Notable landmarks

Prominent historical and cultural sites include the ancient Chilzina rock chamber and the inscriptions from the era of Ashoka. The city's central landmark is the large blue-domed Shrine of the Cloak, located adjacent to the main mosque and the former royal palace. The Old City features remnants of mud-brick walls and the bustling Kandahar Market. Other significant structures are the Mausoleum of Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founder of modern Afghanistan, and the remains of the defensive Kandahar Citadel. The Arghandab River valley to the north provides a stark contrast of lush greenery against the surrounding desert landscape.

Category:Populated places in Kandahar Province Category:Provincial capitals in Afghanistan