Overview:

is a historic palace and citadel located in the city of Bamyan, in Afghanistan. It was likely first built during the reign of the Buddhist Hephthalite Empire (5th century CE), but it reached its peak prominence in the late 16th century, when it was the capital of the small Bamiyan Emirate. The palace was destroyed in 1809 after the collapse of the Bamiyan Emirate. As of 2020, the citadel is undergoing archaeological excavations. It is one of the most beautiful monuments in Afghanistan
Prominent Features:

Some of the most prominent features of the Qala-e-Band-e-Amir in Bamiyan, Afghanistan include: 1. Great Citadel: This fully preserved 6th-century citadel is one of the most important archaeological sites in Bamiyan. It was built by the Hephthalite kings to defend against nomadic tribes and is surrounded by the city wall. 2. Buddha Images: A series of monumental Buddha images were carved into the cliffs here, with some of these statues standing up to 50 meters high. Unfortunately, the Taliban destroyed the two standing Buddhas in 2001, desecrating one of the most important monuments of Buddhist art in the world. 3. Surkh Kotal: This is one of the oldest and largest sites of ancient Hindu and Buddhist temples located in the region. The remains of the complex are mostly destroyed, but it still provides a great example of the region’s culture and history. 4. Valley of the Shadow of Death: This valley is surrounded by cliffs and is known for its unusual and harsh terrain. It was where Leonid Brezhnev took some of his first steps into the world of politics during a battle with the rebels in the 1940s. 5. Heptagonal Reservoir: This large reservoir was built by the Hephthalite kings in the 5th century and was used to store precious rainwater. It stretches across a large area and is still in use today. You can learn history, culture, and heritage through these magnificent monuments in Afghanistan.

History:

Qala-e-Band-e-Amir is an archeological site in the Bamiyan Valley in Afghanistan. Its enormous mound of mud-brick walls, two monumental fortresses, and palace-like structures date back to the Sassanid Persian (third to seventh centuries AD) and Kushan Empires. The ruins of the fortresses are located five kilometers northwest of Bamiyan and ten kilometers from the iconic Buddhas of Bamiyan. The fortresses were part of a much larger military fortification intended to defend the mountain passes of the Hindu Kush range. Qala-e-Band-e-Amir is thought to have been an important site for military, defensive, and cultural development. The Qala likely served as the capital of the Kushan Empire in its heyday. During the Kushan period, the site was divided into several smaller settlements, separated by defensive walls. The outer wall of the fortifications was constructed of thick mud-brick, while the inner walls were made of sand-covered wood. The main building within the walls was a two-storey palace-like structure. Archeological excavations have revealed the remains of a royal complex, a temple, and a fire temple. It is thought that this fire temple was a place of worship for the Zoroastrian religion, which was popular among the nomadic Kushans. The fortresses of Qala-e-Band-e-Amir also had multiple residential structures and the remains of irrigation channels, canals, and small reservoirs. The fortresses were destroyed in 721 AD, when the Arab general Qutayba ibn Muslim took over the area. However, the ruins remained and were used in later centuries as caravan routes for traders traveling between Afghanistan and northern India. Qala-e-Band-e-Amir was rediscovered by archeologists in the late twentieth century. Today, the site is a popular tourist destination, where visitors can explore the ruins of the mud-brick walls and buildings, as well as learn about Afghanistan's ancient history. Visit one of the famous monuments of Afghanistan with your friends and family.

Interesting facts:

1. Qala-e-Band-e-Amir in Bamiyan Afghanistan is one of the oldest cities in central Asia and dates back to the Achaemenid Empire of Persia or even earlier. 2. Qala-e-Band-e-Amir is located in the Hindu-Kush mountains of Afghanistan and was a key trading city between Mesopotamia and India. 3. The entire city was built out of mud bricks and the ruins are still visible today. 4. In the 11th century, Qala-e-Band-e-Amir served as a citadel for a local ruler. 5. During the Mongol Conquest, Qala-e-Band-e-Amir was used as a military base before being abandoned. 6. In 2001, Qala-e-Band-e-Amir was heavily damaged by the Taliban as part of their campaign to eradicate Afghanistan's cultural heritage. 7. The site was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 for its historical, cultural, and religious significance. One of the historical monuments of Afghanistan, it tells the story of a bygone era