Citadel, Herat is one of the popular Tourist Attractions in Herat. The city of Herat is situated in western Afghanistan. The city is also in the Herat province. The city is located in the valley of the Hari River. The river flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan. Herat is the third largest city in the Afghanistan. While taking the Herat Tours don’t forget to visit the Citadel, Herat. The country of Afghanistan is situated in the center of Asia.
Traveling to Herat is easy as it is well connected by roads and flights. The city of Herat is an ancient one and is filled with historic buildings. The Citadel, Herat dominates the city. The city of Herat was one of the important cities of Khorasan during the Middle Ages and was known as the Pearl of Khorasan.
This Herat Attraction is a citadel built by Alexander the Great. This citadel of Herat is also known as Arg and Qala-e Ikhtiyaruddin. This Citadel, Herat is situated within the north west perimeter of the old city. Many believe that there was a fort on the same site around 330 BC when Alexander the Great captured Aria.
The present Citadel, Herat was built by the Kart Emir Ikhtiyaruddin in 1305 on the old citadel. It was built with the remains of an earlier fortress which was destroyed by the Mongol’s. In 1838-39 the Citadel in Herat withstood a Persian siege. It surrendered to Abdur Rahman in 1881 which brought the city under the rule of the Iron Emir. In the 1950’s a local army commander ordered the total demolition of the citadel to construct a modern army barrack. Fortunately the Citadel, Herat was saved through the intervention of King Zahir Shah and was restored in the 1970’s.
Over centuries the Citadel, Herat was pillaged for brick and wood. This citadel is a huge structure made with fired bricks. There are huge battlements which are surmounted by 18 towers. Many renovations have taken place and decorative Timurid tile work and massive thuluth-style calligraphy have been restored on the towers. Presently Citadel, Herat is occupied by the Afghan Army and is closed to the public.
Online information on Citadel, Herat is provided by travel.mapsofworld
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