- Type
- Castle
- Location
- Herat, Afghanistan
- Coordinates
- 34.3458°, 62.1886°
History
The hill in the centre of Herat has been fortified since antiquity, and local tradition credits Alexander the Great, who arrived around 330 BC, with founding the stronghold. The citadel was destroyed and rebuilt many times – the Mongols ruined it in the 13th century, and the Kart dynasty rebuilt it early in the 14th. Its present form dates from 1415–1416, when the Timurid ruler Shah Rukh, who made Herat his capital, had it reconstructed. It was still used by the army in the 20th century, and early in the 21st it underwent a thorough restoration with the involvement of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
What to see
The citadel has an upper section with courtyards and a lower one, all enclosed by thick walls with brick towers. One tower still bears fragments of Timurid cladding of glazed tiles. Since the restoration the walls house a museum of the region's archaeology, and the ramparts look out over the old city and the Great Mosque.
Wikipedia article Wikidata Q10859317
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