Some more of Herat's Sights

 

Herat's place in history has often been overlooked in favour of Samarkand and Bukhara, but its inhabitants are proud of their past and the city’s reputation as a place of culture. Although many of the monuments to Herat’s glorious past are in a sorry state, ruined by British and Russian invaders, the city is still the most rewarding sightseeing location in Afghanistan. With its Friday Mosque the city still possesses one of the greatest buildings in the Islamic world, while the Old City is one of the few in Afghanistan to retain its medieval street plan.

(more at the LP link)

 

Herat Citadel

 

An Ottoman fortress is sitting on the foundation of one of Alexander the Great's forts

 

 

 

Mausoleum of Gowhar Shad

 

 

Belonging to the same timeframe as the other Timurid buildings in Uzbekistan, this mausoleum is a perfect example, with the exception of the exterior tiling which had been destroyed by Soviet shelling. The remnants of the tiling on the dome gives you an idea of how it used to look, It was built in 1432 and Gowhar Shad, her son, and it is believed seven more Timurid princes, are buried here.

 

The burial markers of some who are entombed here

 

 

 

 

The Five Minarets

 

The five minarets is all that remains of over twenty and a large madrassa complex and mosque, known as the Musallah Complex

 

There used to be another mausoleum on these grounds, next to the one of Gowhar Shad, but it was destroyed by the war against the Soviets

 

The destroyed mausoleum, how it looked in the early 80s

 

The single minaret that is leaning heavily, had been damaged by Soviet RPG fire and is kept from falling over by wires

 

The set of four minarets is in an area that is now bisected by a road within mounds of historical rubble and current junk

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