Stand at the edge of the old city and the Great Mosque of Herat fills your view: a long brick facade of blue tilework, its courtyard busy with people coming and going through the day. Herat has been a meeting point on the Silk Road between West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia and East Asia, and the historic core still carries the marks of that role.
The city suits travellers who are drawn to Timurid architecture, Sufi shrines and the everyday life of a working Afghan city rather than to resort comforts. The sites are clustered closely enough that you can see a great deal on foot and by short taxi rides.
This guide covers the main historic places in the city, with practical notes on how to combine them and what to expect when you arrive.
Top things to do in Herat
1. The Friday Mosque (Jama Masjid of Herat, مسجد جمعه هرات)
The Friday Mosque is more than 800 years old, full of life and incredibly beautiful. It is the strongest single sight in the city, and the one to build a day around.
Be sure and seek out the craftsmen's shop behind the main entrance, where you can watch them cut tiles and lay out new pieces for the building.
2. Herat Citadel
The Herat Citadel sits on a hill to the west of the old city, with great views overlooking the city. It has reopened to visitors after being used by the military to store ammunition for a few years, and is under restoration by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
It has an eerie deserted feel, and you're free to roam and climb around all you want. However, be a little careful as some of the paths are slightly precarious. The guards generally demand a US$5 entrance fee, though bargaining can get you in for less, or even for free.
3. Herat National Museum
The Herat National Museum is housed in the Citadel. Its collection showcases the history of the region.
Many pieces have been either lost or looted, so treat it as a small addition to the Citadel rather than a separate outing, and see it while you are already inside the walls.
4. Mousallah Complex
The Mousallah Complex was once a mosque, a medressa, and a mausoleum. All that remains is a single, precariously tethered minaret and the large domed tomb of Gowhar Shad, who commissioned the original complex.
If you have time, wait for the keeper to come unlock the tomb; this might involve asking the guard to call, and he will ask for a few dollars. It is worth it to see the interior. At the very back of the park behind the mausoleum, part of a second minaret, part of the madrassa, can be found with a rusting tank parked nearby.
5. Minarets of Sultan Baiqara
The Minarets of Sultan Baiqara stand next to the Musalla Complex. The four minarets are all that remains of the medressa that he built.
The new Iranian-built road cuts directly through them, two on each side. Most of the once beautiful blue tiling has vanished, though the floral outlines remain. Combine them with the Mousallah Complex in the same stop.
6. Tomb of Jami
Jami was a very famous 15th-century Sufi poet. His tomb is highly revered, and popular with local women.
To get here, walk roughly a kilometre north from the Baiqara minarets along the main road. When you get to a junction with a large monument in the centre, look out to the left and the large building that looks like a mosque is the one. Otherwise, there is a taxi stand near the junction.
7. Gazar Gah
Gazar Gah is a large and famous Sufi shrine of Khoja Abdullah Ansari, tiled in blue with Kufic calligraphy. His tomb is the large blue structure at the back.
There is no entrance fee, but donations are appreciated. Pair it with Takht-e Safar, which is close by.
8. Takht-e Safar
Takht-e Safar is a very old and famous park near the mountain, close to Gazar Gah.
It works best as a slower stop on the same trip out to the shrine, rather than a destination on its own.
9. Military Museum
The Military Museum, next to the US consulate, holds an overwhelming collection of weapons and military equipment left behind after Afghanistan's numerous invasions.
Upstairs is a display in memory of the Soviet invasion. Allow time for the upper floor rather than rushing through the ground level.
10. Yu Aw Synagogue
The Yu Aw Synagogue is one of few preserved synagogues in Afghanistan.
It is a short, quiet stop that fits naturally into a walk through the old city between the other sites.
11. Hammams
Herat's huge subterranean hammams are a living part of the city rather than a monument.
Take a shower in one of them. Go when you have an unhurried hour rather than squeezing it between two sights.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at the Herat Citadel, climbing the hill for the views over the old city and roaming the walls while it is quiet. See the Herat National Museum inside the Citadel before you leave.
Afternoon: Walk into the old city to the Friday Mosque and give it proper time, including the craftsmen's shop behind the main entrance. Then head to the Mousallah Complex and the Minarets of Sultan Baiqara next to it, and wait for the keeper if you want the tomb of Gowhar Shad unlocked.
Evening: Take a taxi out to Gazar Gah for the blue shrine of Khoja Abdullah Ansari, and walk over to Takht-e Safar nearby before returning to the city.
Frequently asked questions
How old is the Friday Mosque?
It is more than 800 years old, and it remains in active use.
Is there an entrance fee for the Herat Citadel?
The guards generally demand a US$5 entrance fee, though bargaining can get you in for less, or even for free.
How do I find the Tomb of Jami?
Walk roughly a kilometre north from the Baiqara minarets along the main road. At the junction with a large monument in the centre, the large building on the left that looks like a mosque is the one. There is also a taxi stand near the junction.
Does Gazar Gah charge admission?
There is no entrance fee, but donations are appreciated.
Map out the old city on foot, set aside a full day for the mosque and the citadel, and you can start planning your trip to Herat around the places above.