Last Updated on: 12th May 2026, 12:10 am
Upon his visit in the early 16th century, Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire, declared Herat the ‘world’s finest city.’ It was founded back in 330 BC by none other than Alexander the Great. And many centuries later, it would serve as the thriving capital of the Timurid Empire, with numerous surviving landmarks dating to that era. This guide covers the top things to do in Herat that you shouldn’t miss.
For more info on reaching Herat, where to stay, and thoughts on whether the city is really worth visiting, be sure to check the end of the article.
Herat Citadel
The story of Herat Citadel is the story of Herat itself, and exploring it should be one of your top priorities during your time in the city.
At the time of writing, the Citadel costs 500 AFN for foreigners, and it’s open from Saturday to Thursday. For what it’s worth, at the time of my visit, they were only checking foreigners’ passports here and not local permits.
The citadel was established in 330 BC by none other than Alexander the Great. There were likely prior structures in the area, however, laid down by the Persian Achaemenid Empire. But little documented evidence from that era exists.
I’d previously visited another citadel established by Alexander in Kandahar known as Alexandria Arachosia. But the contrast between the two forts couldn’t have been more extreme.
While Alexandria Arachosia looks like it’s been untouched for centuries, Herat Citadel was almost entirely reconstructed in the 2000s.
But before I could start exploring, I immediately became the center of attention amongst the Afghan visitors at the fort during the Eid al-Adha holiday.
As I was the only Westerner and also carrying a large DSLR, I’d get many requests from locals wanting to pose for photographs throughout my visit.
Built atop an artificial mound, the Herat Citadel stretches out to 250 m long. Though, as mentioned, the citadel was established over two thousand years ago by Alexander the Great, nothing here today can be traced to that period.
The citadel was largely destroyed by the Mongols in 1221, after which the Persian Kartid dynasty rebuilt it.
It was destroyed again by Timur (Tamerlane) in 1380, and then largely rebuilt in 1415 his son, Shah Rukh. So the oldest visible portion of the citadel dates to this time period – a tower we’ll picture further below.
The citadel would then later be controlled by kingdoms like the Persian Safavids, the Hotak dynasty and the Durrani Empire. And the British would even occupy it in the 19th century.
Restored between 2006 and 2011 with funding from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, most of what we see today at the Herat Citadel are modern replicas.
In that sense, it might be difficult to still consider the citadel an archaeological site. While the restoration work is indeed impressive, I would’ve preferred it if at least some of the original crumbling walls were left in place.
On that note, the citadel offers great views of Herat in all directions, and some of the original outer walls can indeed be spotted from the various vantage points.
Exploring the citadel today, visitors can see replicas of structures like a hamam, a treasury, officers’ quarters, and dungeons (unfortunately, there’s no signage anywhere). And as we’ll cover shortly, the citadel is also home to a modern museum.
Speaking of dungeons, the Herat Citadel was actually being used as a prison until 2005! Following the first Taliban era (1996-2001), the citadel was then controlled by Ismail Khan, who eventually handed it over to the Ministry of Information & Culture.
Major restorations and rebuilding then commenced from the following year.
Another highlight of your visit will be getting to stand inside the ‘Timurid Tower,’ the oldest surviving section of the fort. But its preserved section of mosaics can only be viewed from the outside.
The Herat Citadel now hosts the Herat National Museum. Unfortunately, the museum was closed at the time of my visit, perhaps because I was in Herat during the Eid al-Adha holiday.
From what I’ve read, the museum houses relatively little in the way of artifacts, but it does provide a great historical overview of the fortress.
Before leaving the area, it’s also worth walking around the fort’s exterior. A tranquil garden now surrounds the fort, and from here you can admire great views of its numerous towers from below.
The highlight here is the Timurid Tower discussed above. The tiles, adorned with Kufic script, reveal how the entire fort would’ve appeared from the outside in the 15th century.
As I made my way out of the fort, some of the Taliban security guards near the entrance took an interest in me. One of them spoke decent English, and he helped translate for a few others.
Though he was sitting in the back of a technical (NSTV) truck with a large machine gun in the back, he seemed to be smiling from behind the black mask.
He and the group just wanted to know some basic things about me, such as my profession, places I’d visited in Afghanistan, and what I thought of the country.
Despite their intimidating appearance, it was a friendly and laidback chat, which was refreshing following a few tense interactions I’d had in Bamyan and Kandahar.
More Around the Neighborhood
Nearby the Herat Citadel are a few other historical attractions tucked away in residential backstreets. Though I’d read about it online and marked it on Google Maps, I was unable to find the ruins of an old caravanserai – even after showing a pic to locals.
Also nearby is an old synagogue, but the area around it seemed to be locked. A neighboring historical church seemed inaccessible as well.
The Blue Mosque
Herat’s Blue Mosque is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful buildings in the whole of Afghanistan. Aside from the Herat Citadel, this is the other must-visit destination during your time in the city.
At the time of writing, entrance to the mosque for foreigners is free, though you will be required to show your permits.
For those still unfamiliar with the situation, it’s necessary for travelers in Afghanistan to obtain local permits from the Ministry of Information & Culture Office in each province that they visit. This is following the main permit obtained in the city where you first arrive.
But in my case, I was completely unable to obtain a Herat permit due to the ongoing Eid al-Adha holiday, during which all government offices were closed.
Though I was about to explain myself upon arrival at the Blue Mosque, I decided to just hand over the main permit I’d obtained in Kabul, along with my entire folder of permits from other provinces I’d visited.
The guard carefully looked over various papers for two to three minutes before waving me in! I’m still not sure if he felt that what I had was sufficient, or if it was more of a literacy issue.
In any case, I’d still recommend travelers to always get the local permits whenever possible.
Interestingly, the site of the Blue Mosque was originally home to a Zoroastrian temple. And since Islam became a dominant force in the region, a mosque has stood here since the 7th century.
The Ghaznavids later enlarged it, but it was almost completely destroyed in an 1102 earthquake. And then a fire destroyed the parts that were rebuilt.
The current structure, therefore, dates back to around 1200 AD when it was established by the Ghorids under the rule of Sultan Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad Ghor. The Ghorids had previously taken over Herat in 1175.
From an aesthetic standpoint, the Blue Mosque rivals anything one might see in Uzbekistan to the north.
And that’s because following the Mongol invasion, the mosque was largely rebuilt by the Timurid dynasty – the same dynasty responsible for many of the remarkable structures in Bukhara and Samarkand.
But in contrast to those increasingly trendy and crowded destinations, I was the only tourist during my visit to the Blue Mosque. And there were only a handful of local visitors.
The Blue Mosque is considered to be a masterclass in tilework. Though, as mentioned, the current style largely dates to the Timurid era, re-tiling work has been ongoing since the 1940s.
And even during my visit, I could see new tiles being created within one of the mosque’s side rooms.
As is the case with many mosques in Afghanistan, non-Muslim foreigners are barred from entry to the interior. But there are plenty of other fascinating details in the courtyard to tide you over.
The Shrine of Khwaja Abdullah Ansari
After the two main landmarks mentioned above, the Khwaja Abdullah Ansari Shrine is arguably the next most visually impressive landmark in Herat.
It’s located on the outskirts of town – about 3 km northeast of central Herat. I was able to find a taxi driver to take me there from the Blue Mosque for just 100 AFN.
Also known as the Shrine at Gazur Gah, this is the funerary complex of Sufi saint Khwaja Abdullah Ansari.
It was constructed in 1425 during the reign of Shah Rukh, Timur’s son. And the project’s head architect was a man named Qavam al-Din of Shiraz, Iran.
But the saint entombed here lived centuries prior during the 11th century. Known as the ‘Sage of Herat,’ Khwaja Abdullah Ansari (1006-1089) lived during the time that the Ghaznavid Empire ruled these lands.
Ansari was a direct descendant of one of the Prophet Muhammad’s companions, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari. A follower of the Hanbali school of Sunni Islam, Ansari is revered for his Persian poetry and books on Islamic mysticism.
The shrine also came to function as a general cemetery for members of the public – but largely those from elite families. Among those buried here is Dost Mohammad Khan (1792-1863), the founder of the Barakzai dynasty and the ruler of Afghanistan during the First Anglo-Afghan War.
The shrine is also known for its beautiful mosaics, though the tilework isn’t quite as pristine as what you’ll see at the Blue Mosque mentioned above. It was, however, repaired in 2005 with funds from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
The Tomb of Mawlana Jami
Finding a taxi driver at the Shrine of Khwaja Abdullah Ansari was a bit of a challenge, but I managed to get a ride to the Tomb of Mawlana Jami for 200 AFN.
Frankly, speaking, this tomb is far from essential, though it’s a relatively easy journey from here to the Musalla Complex (see below).
But who was Mawlana Jami? Jami (1414-1492) was an influential Persian mystic and scholar. Widely regarded as the last great classical poet of Persian literature, he lived in Herat when it served as capital of the Timurid Empire.
The Musalla Complex
The Musalla Complex is one of Herat’s most historically important areas. But not only has much of it been destroyed, the entire complex was inaccessible at the time of my visit.
It dates to the time when Herat was the capital of the Timurid Empire, which it became in 1405. Before that, the empire’s capital had been in Samarkand.
But upon the death of the empire’s founder, Timur (Tamerlane), his son Shah Rukh decided to move the capital here. Part of the reason was that Shah Rukh took the throne following a war of succession, and he likely wanted to establish a new power base.
Furthermore, Herat’s location had long been strategic, with it situated along a route connecting Iran with Central and South Asia.
But one of the main reasons to move the capital to Herat may have been due to the insistence of Queen Gawhar Shad, whose brothers were already administrators in the city.
Though I encircled almost the entire massive complex and found it entirely blocked by walls and locked gates, its iconic set of five towering minarets was still easily visible.
In their center once stood a madrasa, or Islamic school of learning. And notably, the complex’s head architect was Qavam al-Din of Shiraz, the man behind the Shrine of Khwaja Abdullah Ansari mentioned above.
Additional mosques and madrasas were then added later in the 15th century. But the most remarkable structure still standing is the mausoleum of Queen Gawhar Shad herself.
Supposedly, this is the only part of the complex still normally accessible to visitors. But even after walking over to the main gate, I didn’t encounter any guards or staff, and I’m guessing that it was closed due to the holiday.
I would, at least, get the chance to visit plenty of similar Timurid mausoleums during my later visits to Samarkand and Bukhara.
But why is the Musalla Complex in such bad shape? Sadly, it was largely destroyed by the British Indian Army in 1885 to prevent the invading Russians from potentially using it as a fort.
Interestingly, I could see from a distance that one minaret was under renovation, so who knows what the future will bring.
Given Uzbekistan’s current boom in popularity, I’d imagine that some tourists, upon realizing that many major Uzbek monuments were largely refurbished in Soviet times, might turn to Herat to see a more ‘pure’ form of Timurid architecture.
The Shahzada Qasim & Shahzada Abdullah Mausoleums
Speaking of Timurid architecture, south of the Musalla Complex is a pair of additional mausoleums. While not quite as grand as the Khwaja Abdullah Ansari Shrine, given their convenient central location, they’re well worth checking out during your time in Herat.
Interestingly, both Qasim and Abdullah are princes who died in the 8th century, meaning their mausoleums were built around 700 years later.
The shrines were built of plain fired brick that were then covered in colorful tilework. While not as flashy as the Blue Mosque, the tiles here are said to be largely original and untouched since the Timurid era.
The mausoleums, however, were indeed recently restored, with work being carried out in 2014.
Additional Info
Situated at the opposite end of the country from Kabul, Herat can be a bit of a challenge to reach.
And deciding whether or not you want to visit Herat will greatly impact the rest of your Afghanistan itinerary. But let’s get into that further below.
At the time of writing, the smoothest land route to Herat is from Kandahar.
Note that this route used to be considered very dangerous, as it would pass through Taliban-held territory. But now with the Taliban back in control of the entire country, the journey is actually much safer now and relatively uneventful. (On that note, it’s always important to check precisely when any travel guide you find for Afghanistan was written.)
From Kandahar, I paid 1000 AFN for a seat on a ‘VIP Bus,’ which is just what they call modern coach buses. The ride lasted roughly 8.5 hours, including a few rest stops and prayer stops.
For those wanting to come straight from Kabul, the road between the capital and Herat is unfortunately quite rough. While buses do exist, the ride is said to take around 18-20 hours. That’s actually longer than the total journey from Kabul to Kandahar and then from Kandahar to Herat.
That’s why a lot of people just fly to Herat. You can get there via Ariana Afghan Airlines or Kam Air.
Another even rougher road is that between Herat and Maimana, a city you’ll pass through on the journey to Mazar-i-Sharif in the north. The journey is currently only possible via shared taxi, and it’s a grueling 14-hour ride.
In my case, they even crammed four grown men in the backseat! And for much of the ride, a proper road didn’t even exist, and we were just traveling over dirt and desert. Unsurprisingly, we experienced multiple breakdowns. But considering how cramped the car was, anything that allowed us to get out and stretch our legs came as a relief. Learn more details about the journey in our guide to Mazar-i-Sharif and Old Balkh.
I met a number of European travelers who visited Afghanistan as part of a much longer route, and they entered the country from Mashhad, Iran, with Herat serving as their first destination.
I can’t speak from experience, but the people I talked with mentioned a smooth and mostly uneventful border crossing – a far cry from the Torkham Crossing in Afghanistan’s east. (This was before the US-Israeli war on Iran started in 2026.)
I stayed at Amiri Hotel, which seems to be the place that most foreign visitors to Heart choose. It was also by far the most luxurious place I stayed in Afghanistan. Despite this, they’re not present on Booking or other websites, so you’ll have to make a reservation via WhatsApp. You should be able to reach them at +93792561515.
One of the annoyances of booking hotels in Afghanistan this way is that you’ll often have to haggle for the best price. In my case, I brought the price down from 2500 AFN per night to 2000 AFN (about $30 USD at the time of writing).
My room was spacious, clean, and modern and it had hot water. Despite this, the toilet was still a squat toilet!
They use Starlink for internet and it was the fastest and most stable connection that I experienced anywhere in the country. Furthermore, the price also included a traditional Afghani breakfast.
As mentioned, with the current state of the roads in Afghanistan, Herat is so out of the way that you’ll have to plan your entire itinerary around whether or not you want to visit.
Also keep in mind that as far as I can tell, Herat doesn’t really serve as a base for interesting day trips. So unless you’re entering the country from Iran, you’ll be coming out this way just to see the attractions described in the guide above.
It’s also worth noting that along with its beautiful traditional architecture, modern Herat is one of Afghanistan’s grittier cities, and I observed more litter here than anywhere else in the country.
Ultimately, I’m glad that I visited Herat. Some of the Timurid-era monuments, of course, lacked the polish that you’ll find in Uzbekistan. But they also felt a lot more authentic than the commercialized and ‘Disneyfied’ atmosphere of some of Uzbekistan’s historic towns.
Looking at photos of Uzbekistan from just several decades prior, you’ll realize that for centuries, a lot of the now-famous monuments looked more or less like Herat’s landmarks pictured above.
But with that said, if you have limited time and also plan on visiting Uzbekistan before or after your trip to Afghanistan, you wouldn’t be missing a whole lot by leaving Herat out of your itinerary.