Balkh

Introduction

Balkh sits in northern Afghanistan, roughly 24 km northwest of Mazar-i-Sharif and about 74 km south of the Amu Darya, the river that marks the border with Uzbekistan. The city lies within Balkh District and is the second largest in Balkh Province.

Before you go

Balkh is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the region, with a history stretching back before 1000 BCE and mentions in the Hindu Vedas. It served as the capital of Bactria before Alexander the Great's arrival and later of a Greco-Bactrian kingdom, and it was sacked twice by the Mongols, first under Genghis Khan and later by Tamerlane. Both Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta passed through. The city remained the regional capital until the 19th century, when it was largely abandoned during an epidemic and Mazar-e Sharif took over; today Mazar is the largest and most important city in the area, so plan your trip with that in mind as your likely base.

Dari and Pashto are both spoken, with Dari more common in this region; you will also hear Tajik and Uzbek, and because this is a border region some people speak Russian. Compared with the rest of the country, many people in Balkh speak English, and there are English schools and lessons as well as computer courses. Don't be surprised if a teacher invites you into their home; younger students tend to be shy about using their English.

Getting there

Balkh is easily reached from Mazar-e Sharif by shared taxi. Look for the passengers sitting in the open boot of some cars, which is how the shared taxis are loaded. The road passes through a fort with destroyed tanks and APCs, probably a road block during the Warlord and Taliban period. The landscape before and around the town is fields, and south of the town at the turnoff is a large mound that was probably a watchtower.

Getting around

Balkh is compact and largely ruined, so walking is the natural way to see it. The surviving monuments, above all the Green Mosque, lie within the built-up area, and you can cover the sights on foot once you arrive. Expect uneven ground among the ruined buildings, and avoid walking out beyond the town into the surrounding fields unless you have a specific destination and a guide.

There is no metro, tram, urban rail or city bus network, and no ride-hailing service, so do not plan around public transport within the town. The main link to and from Mazar-i-Sharif is the shared taxi, which is very cheap; you pay the driver directly, and you find one by looking for the cars where passengers are sitting in the open boot. For local trips and side excursions, hire a car and driver, arranged in advance or through your accommodation. Balkh has no airport of its own, so the practical gateway is Mazar-i-Sharif, reached by road; the road between the two passes a fort with destroyed tanks and armoured personnel carriers, and a large mound that was probably once a watchtower marks the turnoff south of town.

Where to stay

The source material for this guide contains no accommodation listings for Balkh, so there is nothing specific to recommend here. Rather than invent options, this section is left open until reliable details on where to stay can be added.

Food & drink

What to see and do

Balkh's old town is completely enclosed by its ancient fortifications, brick and mud walls that stand at least 30 feet high and remain in good condition. You can climb them for views over the town and the surrounding countryside; the walls slope on the outside and are vertical on the inside, so from within they feel very tall. Turrets along the ramparts are in varying states of decay, which lets you pick out the building techniques. At the north end, a larger mound marks the site of the old fortress.

In the centre of town, a tree-filled park is where children play soccer or volleyball. At one end stand the ruins of a tiled mosque, easy to photograph in full; at the other, the gate of a madrassa, whose construction is harder to capture because of the trees and the small shops surrounding the park. The Shrine of Khoja Abu Nasar Parsa, also known as Bala Hasar, dominates the park and was built in the 15th century in the Timurid style; adjacent to it is the small tomb of Rabia Balkhi, the famous female Persian poet. On the northern edge of the city, the huge Bala Hissar fortress was built by the Timurids in the 15th century on the site of an Achaemenid fort where Alexander the Great married Roxanne. South of the centre, the Noh Gonbad (Haji Piyada) Mosque is one of Afghanistan's most important historical buildings, its remains now under a protective roof; head south from the centre, cross the main east-west road, and after about 500 metres you'll see an English sign directing you to turn right. Near the bus stand, Tepe-i Rustam holds the remains of a Buddhist stupa, a reminder of the monasteries the Chinese monk Xuanzang recorded here in 630 AD.

Three days in Balkh

Day one: Start in Balkh itself, the old city in Balkh District, Balkh Province, whose history reaches back to the Hindu Vedas and the era of Bactria and Alexander the Great. Take your time over the remains of the Greco-Bactrian past, then turn to the later layers left by the Mongols under Genghis Khan and by Tamerlane. Both Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta passed through this region, and the sense of long use is what stays with you. Expect a place that rewards slow looking rather than rushing.

• Balkh old city
• Greco-Bactrian remains
• Layers associated with Genghis Khan and Tamerlane

Day two: Head to Mazar-i-Sharif, the city most travellers use as a base in the north. The Green Mosque is the sight to see, and it sets the rhythm of the city around it. Dari and Pashto are the main languages you will hear, with Tajik, Uzbek and Russian also present, and compared with English they will sound unfamiliar, so learn a few words. Don't be alarmed by security arrangements such as APCs; the legacy of the warlord years and the Taliban period is part of the context, and local advice is worth taking.

• Mazar-i-Sharif
• Green Mosque

Day three: Use the day for the wider setting. The Amu Darya marks the border with Uzbekistan, and the river country gives a different view of the north from the cities. Rather than trying to cover everything, choose one direction and give it the day. For the return, keep your plans flexible and confirm arrangements locally before you set out.

• Amu Darya
• Border with Uzbekistan