Herat see · Herat attractions
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Herat attractions
Herat attractions
The Friday Mosque is more than 800 years old, full of life and incredibly beautiful. Be sure and seek out the craftsmen's shop behind the main entrance, where you can watch them cut tiles and lay out new pieces for the building.
The Citadel is in on a hill to the west of the old city, with great views overlooking the city. It has recently reopened to visitors after being used by the military to store ammunition for the last few years, and is currently under restoration by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. It has a great and eerie deserted feel, and you're free to roam and climb around all you want - however, be a little careful, some of the paths are slightly precarious. The guards generally demand a $5 entrance fee, though bargaining can get you in for less - or even for free.
Musalla Complex, about 2 km due north of the Citadel. Once a mosque, a medressa, and a mausoleum, all that remains is a single, precariously tethered minaret and the large domed tomb of Gowhar Shad, who commissioned the original complex. If you have time, wait for the keeper to come unlock the tomb (this might involve asking the guard to call) - he will ask for a few dollars, but it's worth his $3-5 fee to see the interior. At the very back of the park behind the mausoleum, part of a second minaret, part of the madrassa, can be found with a rusting tank parked nearby.
Minarets of Sultan Baiqara, next to the Musalla Complex. The 4 minarets are all that remains of the medressa that he built. The new Iranian-built road cuts directly through them, two on each side. Most of the once beautiful blue tiling has vanished, though the floral outlines remain.
Tomb of Jami. Jami was a very famous 15th century Sufi poet. His tomb is highly revered, and popular with local women. To get here, walk roughly a kilometre north from the Baiqara minarets along the main road. When you get to a junction with a large monument in the center, look out to the left and the large building that looks like a mosque is the one. Otherwise, there is a taxi stand near the junction if you're out of steam or heading to Gazar Gah (50 Afg) or Takht-e Safar.
Gazar Gah is the large and famous sufi shrine of Khoja Abdullah Ansari, tiled in blue with Kufic calligraphy. His tomb is the large blue structure at the back. There is no entrance fee, but donations are appreciated.
Takht-e Safar, a very old and famous park situated near the mountain close to Gazar Gah.
Military Museum, (Next to the Five Star hotel north-east of town - best to take a taxi). An overwhelming collection of weapons and military equipment left behind after Afghanistan's numerous invasions. Upstairs is a display in memory of the Soviet invasion. The museum has not yet officially opened (Sept. 2009) but the guards will let you in for a look. �
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Herat Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
