Kandahar, Afghanistan

City in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan

About Kandahar

Kandahar is a city in southern Afghanistan, serving as the capital and largest city of Kandahar Province. It is within the jurisdiction of Kandahar District and has an estimated population of 732,629 settled residents. Mullah Hekmatullah is the current mayor of the city. His predecessor was Haji Nimatullah Hassan.

Name

The modern name of the city derives from the name of the original city built here, Alexandria. This city (often referred to as Alexandria in Arachosia to distinguish it from other Alexandrias) was founded after the invasion of Alexander the Great in 330 BC. The name "Alexander" in the local Pashto language is rendered as "Iskandar". It is believed that over time this transformed into "Scandar", and eventually the modern "Kandahar". The change of the name from "Scandar" to Candar is mentioned by the 16th-century Portuguese historian João de Barros in his most famous work, Décadas da Ásia. A folk etymology offered is that the word "kand" or "qand" in Persian and Pashto (the local languages) is the origin of the word "candy". The name "Candahar" or "Kandahar" in this form probably translates to candy area. …

History

Excavations of prehistoric sites by archaeologists such as Louis Dupree and others suggest that the region around Kandahar is one of the oldest known human settlements known so far. Early peasant farming villages came into existence in Afghanistan ca. 5000 B.C., or 7000 years ago. Deh Morasi Ghundai, the first prehistoric site to be excavated in Afghanistan, lies 27 km (17 mi) southwest of Kandahar (Dupree, 1951). Another Bronze Age village mound site with multiroomed mud-brick buildings dating from the same period sits nearby at Said Qala (J. Shaffer, 1970). Second millennium B.C. Bronze Age pottery, copper and bronze horse trappings and stone seals were found in the lowermost levels in the nearby cave called Shamshir Ghar (Dupree, 1950). In the Seistan, southwest of these Kandahar sites, two teams of American archaeologists discovered sites relating to the 2nd millennium B.C. (G. …

Geography

Kandahar is in southern Afghanistan, connecting South Asia with Central Asia and Western Asia with Eastern Asia. It is between the Arghandab River and the Tarnak River, and has 15 city districts (nahias), covering a land area of 273 km2 (105 sq mi) or 27,337 ha (67,550 acres). Kandahar is connected by a road network with Tarinkot to the north, Qalat to the northeast, Spin Boldak to the southeast, and Grishk and Lashkargah to the west. It is the regional hub in southern Afghanistan, close to the border with Pakistan. Non-built up land use accounts for 59% of the total land area. Within the built-up area, vacant plots occupy a slightly higher percentage of land (36%) than residential land (34%). There is a significant commercial cluster along the road to Pakistan in District 5. In 2015 there were 61,902 dwelling units in the city. …

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Economy

Kandahar's economy is mainly based on agriculture, trade, transport, and tourism. The province is famous for grapes and pomegranates, which are also exported to other countries. Many residents of the city work in the industrial park in the Shorandam area, which has about 300 factories. More are being built in the near future. The city also has several pharmaceutical companies. There are a number of banks and shopping areas in the city. The following are some of the popular hotels and shopping places. The only remaining historical city gate is at Eidgah Gate Square, on Kandahar's main road. The Mausoleum of Ahmad Shah Durrani is located near there, which also houses Durrani's brass helmet and other personal items. In front of the mausoleum is the Khirka Sharif, which contains the Cloak of Muhammad. The cloak is kept locked away, taken out only at times of great crisis. …

Transport

The Ahmad Shah Baba International Airport is southern Afghanistan's main airport for domestic and international flights. Next to the airport is the now-abandoned United States military base. Most international flights are to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. Kandahar is connected to Kabul by the Kabul-Kandahar Highway and to Herat by the Kandahar-Herat Highway. The city is also connected to Spin Boldak by the Kandahar-Spin Boldak Highway. The bus terminals in Ayno Maina and Bagh-e-Pul have Mercedes-Benz buses that take passengers to other cities. For the first time the city is being connected by a railroad with Herat to the northwest and Spin Boldak to the southeast. The government-run Milli Bus had a number of buses in Kandahar in the 1970s. The service ended in the 1990s. Most people in the city own a vehicle or have access to one. …

Demographics

The city of Kandahar has an estimated population of 732,629 settled residents. This estimated figure does not include the large number of recent returnees from neighboring countries, nor does it include the large number of workers and visitors from other areas of the country. Most people in Kandahar are Pashtuns while some are Baloch, Tajiks, Uzbeks and other. In 2015 there were 61,902 dwelling units in the city. Pashto is the most widely used language and Dari is understood by a number of residents. Both are the official languages of Afghanistan. A 2007 government document stated the following: The major ethnic group living in [the] province is Pashtoons. This includes major tribes such as Barakzai, Popalzai, Alkozai, Noorzai and Alezai. Pashtu is spoken by more than 98% of population and in more than 98% of villages. …

Kandahar

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