Kandahar Old City Durrani Empire Capital
Explore Kandahar — the second largest city of Afghanistan and one of the most historically significant, the city founded by Alexander the Great (calling it Alexandria Arachosia), later becoming the first capital of the Durrani Empire established by Ahmad Shah Durrani in 1747, the founder of modern Afghanistan whose tomb stands at the city center.
- 1
Ahmad Shah Durrani Mausoleum
The mausoleum of Ahmad Shah Durrani — the founder of the Durrani Empire and modern Afghanistan, the blue-domed tomb in the center of Kandahar city where the king who created the Afghan state is buried, the mausoleum a significant pilgrimage site and the symbolic center of Pashtun political identity in Afghanistan.
- 2
Kandahar Bazaar Historic Core
The historic bazaar of Kandahar — the commercial center of the city that has operated for centuries as the trading hub of southern Afghanistan, the covered lanes and open market areas selling the dried fruits, carpets, and agricultural produce of the Kandahar region, the bazaar architecture reflecting the traditional Central Asian commercial design.
- 3
Shrine of the Cloak of Prophet
The Shrine of the Cloak of the Prophet Muhammad — the Khirqa Sharif mosque in central Kandahar that claims to house the cloak of the Prophet, one of the most sacred relics in Islam, the shrine attracting pilgrims from across Afghanistan and the broader Muslim world, the building serving as a major religious and political symbol.
- 4
Kandahar Old City Walls
The remnants of Kandahar's old city walls — the defensive fortifications that protected the city through the centuries of conflict between Persian, Mughal, and Afghan empires, the walls reduced by successive rebuildings but the street pattern and the density of the old city still reflecting the medieval urban structure.
- 5
Kandahar Pomegranate Gardens
The pomegranate orchards on the outskirts of the old city — Kandahar famous across Asia for the quality of its pomegranates, the large sweet fruits exported to Pakistan, India, and the Gulf, the orchards representing the agricultural tradition of the Arghandab river valley that has supported the city for millennia.
- 6
Chowk-e-Kandahar Central Square
The central square of Kandahar — the busy intersection that serves as the civic heart of the city, the surrounding shops, mosques, and public buildings reflecting the Pashtun urban culture of southern Afghanistan, the square a gathering place that has witnessed the major political events of Afghan history from the Durrani period to the present.