Top Attractions in Afghanistan

Afghanistan Essentials

Afghanistan’s historical landscape is defined by its role as a Silk Road crossroads. This collection features architectural landmarks like the tile-clad Blue Mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif and the 12th-century Minaret of Jam. It includes the Bamiyan Valley’s archaeological sites, the Timurid-style Great Mosque of Herat, and the 16th-century Gardens of Babur in Kabul. These sites span millennia, from the ancient ruins of Bactra to the 20th-century Darul Aman Palace and the Panjshir Valley tomb of Ahmad Shah Massoud.

Steve Evans / CC BY 2.0

Al Masjid Al Azraq

The Mausoleum of Ali or Blue Mosque, located in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan, is a shrine purportedly housing the tomb of Caliph Ali, the…

Phecda109 / Public domain

Buddhas of Bamiyan

The Buddhas of Bamiyan were two 6th-century monumental statues, Salsal and Shahmama, which were carved into the side of a cliff in the…

david adamec / Public domain

Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam

The Minaret of Jam is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in western Afghanistan.

František Řiháček / CC BY-SA 3.0

Great Mosque of Herat

The Great Mosque of Herat or "Jami Masjid of Herat", is a mosque in the city of Herat, in the Herat Province of north-western Afghanistan.

S.K. Vemmer (U.S. Department of State) / Public domain

Herat Citadel

The Qala Ikhtyaruddin, or Citadel of Herat, is a fort located in the center of Herat in Afghanistan.

Danial f4 / CC BY-SA 4.0

Gardens of Babur

Bagh-e Babur, also known as Gardens of Babur, is a historic site in Chelsatun, Kabul, Afghanistan.

Magnustraveller / CC BY 3.0

Darul Aman Palace

Darul Aman Palace is a three-story-tall palace located in Darulaman, about 16 km south-west of the center of Kabul, Afghanistan.

World Imaging / CC-BY-SA-3.0

Baktra

Bactria, or Bactriana, was an ancient Iranian civilization in Central Asia based in the area south of the Oxus River and north of the…

Shahr-i Ghulghula

Known as the "City of Screams," these 13th-century citadel ruins overlook the Bamiyan Valley. The fortress was the site of a final siege by Genghis Khan's Mongol army in 1221, resulting in the complete destruction of the city and its inhabitants.

Ahmad Shah Massoud Tomb

Located in the Panjshir Valley, this modern mausoleum serves as the final resting place for the Afghan military commander and national hero, Ahmad Shah Massoud. The structure features a distinctive green-tiled dome and offers panoramic views of the surrounding mountains.