Afghan 05: Balkh, a hub of Zoroastrianism and Buddhism...

"However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at..." - Stephen Hawking

(With the locals at Makam Nabi Seth)

Day 05: 08 October 2024 (Tuesday)
Route: MAZAR-E SHARIF / BALKH
Hotel: Samir Walid Guesthouse, Mazar-e Sharif

Breakfast was specially served for our small group in one of the hotel rooms at the upper floor.

(A room-serviced breakfast)

(My favorite Afghan breads)

By 8:00 am we boarded a van with Mr Kassim as our driver. First stop was at the Information and Culture Centre to obtain our tourist travel permit. We waited for almost an hour for the permit to be approved as we had to reprint our photo for the application forms. We had to apply travel permit for each district we visited.

(A hippie and her vintage van, literally a trip of a lifetime)

Today we traced the hippie trail in an old van to the city of Balkh about 20 km from Mazar-e Sharif. Balkh is a hub of Zoroastrianism and Buddhism. The ancient city was also known to the Persian as Zariaspa and to the Greeks as Bactra, as such, it was famously known as the capital of Bactria. The Italian explorer and writer Marco Polo described Balkh as "a noble city and a great seat of learning" prior to the Mongol conquests.

(The locals having their breakfast by the roadside)

(Vegetables and fruits market)

(An old Afghan at the local baazar)

Most of the town now consists of ruined buildings, situated some 12 km from the right bank of the seasonally flowing Balkh River, at an elevation of about 365 m. While it is one of Afghanistan's ethnically diverse settlements. Tajiks account for a substantial portion of Balkh's populace and have continuously inhabited the site for millennia. The main language of the town is Dari, which is spoken by a significant majority.

(The gate to the Ancient City of Balkh)

(Security forts and earthen walls surrounding the old city)

In Balkh, we were escorted by a Taliban Security Officer who assisted with the formalities at the attraction sites. The Ancient City tour of Balkh started with a visit to Jalaluddin Balki Culture Park, which is a large public park for recreation activities and family picnics. The Rumi Cultural Park was supposed to be built here. However, its work was started and opened several times, but it was never finished. Recently, the municipality planned to build the Mazar-e-Sharif peddlers' market here to attract local and foreign visitors.

(Jalaluddin Balki Cultural Park)

(Malaysian and Singaporean travelers in the park)

(The Afghan ladies in their burqa)

Haji Piyada Mosque or Noh Gonbad Mosque or the Mosque of Nine Cupolas is a historic building in Balkh. It is thought to be the oldest and most important early Islamic-era building in Afghanistan. It stands out as an early example of an innovative style for mosques, influenced by pre-existing Irano-Sassanid patterns. The remaining, rare, stucco decorations are believed to be in early Abbasid or Samanid styles. With all nine domes collapsed, the three standing columns and two arches constitute the architectural and artistic core of the site. Badly damaged by time, the risk of structural failure of the arches in the event of an earthquake is extremely high.

(Noh Gonbad Mosque, the oldest in Afghanistan)

(Also known as the Mosque of nine Cupolas)

(Intricately decorated huge columns)

(Remnants of the blue lapis lazuli stones)

(The 8th century ancient structure in Balkh)

Bal-a Hisar grave is a blue grave of a sufi located on the ancient wall of Balkh. The original Sufis wore simple wool cloaks who represents the mystical dimension of Islam. Sufism may be best described as Islamic mysticism or asceticism, which through belief and practice helps Muslims attain nearness to Allah.

(Climbing a flight of steps up the hill)

(Climbing the slopes of the ancient clay wall)

(Reciting the doa at the blue tomb) 

(Walking on the steep ledge)

(The view of the valley, as far as the eye can see)

Next we went to pay respect, reverence and homage to Nabi Seth. Seth, was the son of Adam and Eve and a prophet and messenger of Allah. His name means "gift," as he was given to Adam and Hawa as a replacement for their deceased son, Habil. Habil was killed by his brother Qabil out of jealousy and resentment.

(Makam Nabi Seth enclosure)

(The tomb is covered with green material)

(The burial site and history of Nabi Seth)

(Local and foreign visitors at Makam Nabi Seth)

(Trying out the new hand water pump at the shrine)

(A tuk-tuk for transportation around the area)

We visited the ruins of the house of Jalaluddin Rumi, one of the world's most famous mystics and poets. Rumi was born in the Balkh complex in 1207. The learning site, which comprised a mosque, monastery and madrasa for hundreds of disciples, belonged to his father, the theologian Bahauddin Walad, known by Afghans as Sultan Al-Ulema. Afghan authorities is in the process to rebuild this 13th-century Islamic teaching complex.

(The house of Jalaluddin Rumi, a famous poet)

(The ruins of the 13th century Islamic teaching complex)

The Green Mosque, or Masjid Sabz, or the Mosque of Khawaja Abu Nasr Parsa is a mosque in the city of Balkh. It contains the Shrine of Khwaja Abu Nasr Parsa. The mosque's name is derived from the kashi tiles on the walls of the mosque, which are colored turquoise, known locally as Turkish Green. The mosque suffered severe damage during the Soviet-Afghan War, and it fell into massive disrepair. In 2022, an explosion inside the mosque caused the destruction of some parts of the mosque as well. In Afghanistan, for now ladies are not allowed to enter any mosque. While the men had the opportunity to enter for prayers and photographed the interior, the ladies busied ourself admiring the neat beautiful gardens surrounding the mosque.

(The Mosque of Khawaja Abu Nasr Parsa)

(Turkish green kashi tiles on the walls)

(The intricate tiles decoration at the mehrab area)

(The huge columns in the prayer halls)

(The frontal view from the courtyard)

Lunch was at a local restaurant. We had Kabuli mutton pillaf with chicken shasliks. In most eateries in Afghanistan, the ladies and men were seated separately. The ladies or those with family were seated in a curtained room and the men can have their meals outside.

(Ladies had their lunch in a curtained section)

(Kabuli mutton palao with chicken shasliks)

After lunch, we climbed a steep slope to visit the old fort on top of the ancient wall. Historical accounts from the 10th century AD indicate that the city was ringed with earthen walls, with six gates, within which was a fine citadel and a mosque. Small sections of this wall still remains. From the top, traditional Afghan houses could be seen in the rural areas. They are made of mud, stone, hays and wood, which provide a comfortable living space in harsh weather but have low resistance to seismic hazards.

(The ancient wall and a fort from afar)

(A slow and steady climb up to the fort)

(Arches in the ford overlooking the surroundings)

(The ancient wall is still strong and sturdy)

(Taking a leisure stroll on the ancient wall)

(A flat rest area, overlooking the green valley)

(The view from the Security Fort)

Before we drove back to Mazar-e Sherif we had a brief walking tour at the local bazaar. We did not buy anything as communication with the locals was quite a challenge as a minority of Afghans speak English.

(A roadside bread vendor)

(Balkh local bazaar - vibrant colored materials)

Later we stopped for a local Afghan ice- cream treat. There were many choices of flavors of sheryakh, but we chose Mango and Caramel topped with sweet creamy sauce to add to the delicious taste. Traditional Sheryakh is handcrafted using ancient methods, without any modern technology.

(Afghan sheryakh ice-cream is delicious and creamy)

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