Herat

Herat, Afghanistan

Herāt (Persie: هرات‎ Pashto: هرات‎) is the caipital o Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third lairgest ceety o Afghanistan, wi a population o aboot 397,456. It is situatit in the valley o the Hari River, whilk flows frae the muntains o central Afghanistan tae the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan. The ceety is linked wi Kandahar, Mazar-i-Sharif an Kabul via a circular heichwey that stretches athort the kintra.

Situatit in a fertile aurie, Herāt is aboot 2,700 year auld an wis tradeetionally kent for its wine. The ceety haes mony historic biggins, awtho thir hae suffered damage in various military conflicts durin the last few decades. Durin the Middle Ages Herāt became ane o the important ceeties o Khorasan, as it wis kent as the Pearl o Khorasan.

Herāt lies on the auncient trade routes o the Middle East, Central an Sooth Asie. The roads frae Herāt tae Iran, Turkmenistan, an ither pairts o the kintra are still strategically important. The ceety is the gateway tae Iran, collectin the heichest amoont o customs revenue for Afghanistan. Persian-speakin Tajiks are the main indwallers o the ceety, an are roughly the same as the Persians o Eastren Iran.