Last Updated on: 19th May 2026, 12:51 am
Takht-e-Rostam is one of the world’s most unusual Buddhist sites. Instead of being constructed, the massive stupa was carved entirely from the top down. Why? Nobody quite knows. But, together with the beautiful surrounding scenery, it makes for one of Afghanistan’s most compelling archaeological sites.
The nearest major city to Takht-e-Rostam is Mazar-i-Sharif, and it’s possible to visit as a day trip from Balkh Province. The site, however, is roughly 120 km away from Mazar, and the excursion will take up much of your day.
Learn more about how to reach Takht-e-Rostam just below, while you can read about how to reach Mazar-i-Sharif and the best places to stay at the very end of the article.
How to Get to Takht-e-Rostam
At the time of writing, foreign travelers in Afghanistan are required to obtain local permits in each province that they visit. But this rule normally only applies for provinces where one will be spending the night – not simply passing through. But there are some exceptions, with Samangan Province being one of them.
For whatever reason, travelers must go through the typical process of visiting the local Ministry of Information & Culture office and getting a provincial permit even if they’re only briefly showing up in Samangan to visit Takht-e-Rostam.
Therefore, when choosing a private driver, be sure to find one who’s already taken foreign visitors from Mazar-i-Sharif to Takht-e-Rostam before, as they should already know what to do.
In general in Afghanistan, you also need to be wary of people who are purposefully vague about such rules in hopes that you’ll hire them for an inflated price. Though my hotel, Zarafshan, connected me with a driver for 4000 AFN, an English-speaking ‘guide’ I’d met wanted me to go with his driver for 5500 AFN instead.
He said it would be risky to go with another driver because they might not know the proper rules regarding permits, and that there could be ‘problems.’ But when I asked for details about these rules or potential issues, he wouldn’t elaborate.
After confirming that my hotel’s preferred driver had plenty of experience with this journey, I opted for him instead, and everything turned out fine.
Given the local rules, I wouldn’t recommend most visitors to attempt this day trip via public transport. Though if you search online, you can find reports from those who have done it.
The Jahan Nama Palace
Located along the border of Balkh and Samangan Provinces is a destination that visitors typically stop at on the way to Takht-e-Rostam. But it’s from a completely different historical era.
The Jahan Nama Palace was built by Amir Abdur Rahman between 1890 and 1892. Rahman was the Emir of Afghanistan from 1880-1901, and is perhaps best known for negotiating the Durand Line with British India. This line still serves as the recognized border between Afghanistan and Pakistan to this day.
Rahman was also known as the ‘Iron Emir,’ and it’s estimated that up to 100,000 people were judicially executed during his reign.
The Jahan Nama Palace is one of several retreats that he built around the country, but seems to be the only one currently accessible to visitors.
The interior is largely empty and unremarkable. The real reason to visit, however, is to admire the outer garden and its expansive pool.
And you can also enjoy views from the rooftop. The surrounding mountain scenery is stunning.
Though the palace was restored in the 1970s, an earthquake struck the region in 1976, damaging the palace once again.
And soon after, the Russians occupied the building during the Soviet-Afghan War. The palace would only start to be restored again in the 2000s.
It’s now being looked after by the current Taliban government – a government that’s pushing for increased international tourism. But unsurprisingly, given the palace’s remote location, I was the only visitor there.
Another highlight of a day trip to Takht-e-Rostam is the drive itself. Fans of rugged mountains, canyons, and barren desert scenery certainly won’t be disappointed.
Scenery-wise, this was probably my second-most memorable journey in the country, followed by the fantastic drive from the Torkham Border to Kabul (which, unfortunately, I didn’t photograph).
Interestingly, during the journey, you’ll pass through a market area situated in the middle of a gorge. It’s a convenient place to stop for a snack or a can of modern Afghanistan’s favorite beverage – an energy drink.
Takht-E-Rostam: The Stupa
Upon getting the provincial permit for Samangan in the city of Aybek, it was finally time to head to Takht-e-Rostam. The site is situated atop a large hill which overlooks the surrounding valley.
While I wouldn’t end up paying until we were on our way out, Takht-e-Rostam costs 500 AFN for foreigners at the time of writing.
While, as we’ll cover shortly, the site is named after the Persian hero Rostam, it’s historically fully Buddhist. The main portion is essentially just a large stupa carved out of the bedrock, but there’s a lot more to it than first meets the eye.
Though I’d felt that the stupa looked interesting enough to warrant a day trip out here, photographs didn’t prepare me for how huge the dome looks in person.
In fact, most cameras aren’t even able to capture it. But fortunately, I’d remembered to bring along my 14mm wide angle lens, which allowed me to capture most of the 9m-high stupa from the nearby cliff.
The massive stupa was not built, but entirely carved from the top down. This is incredibly unique in the Buddhist world.
It brings to mind Kailasa Temple and other structures at India’s Ellora Caves. This dome, however, is void of decoration.
There is, however, a structure at its top, meaning that it would’ve been the first thing carved. In older photographs, a small bridge once led visitors to the top of the stupa, allowing access. But the bridge was gone at the time of my visit.
Apparently, the structure once housed relics of the Buddha. Traditionally, stupas at Buddhist temples would often contain relics of the Buddha within them. But since this stupa is solid rock, the builders must’ve planned for a special structure up here instead.
The building serves as the harmika, a square-shaped structure built atop stupas to represent the heavenly abode of the gods. But harmikas, such as those at Sanchi, were typically built as open-air balconies. This one, on the other hand, can actually be entered.
Takht-e-Rostam’s stupa isn’t just appreciated from the top, but visitors can also get right up to its base. Walking down the hill, you’ll soon encounter a cave. And walking through it, you’ll come face to face with the stupa, carved about eight or nine meters deep in the rock.
The surrounding trench was clearly carved for the purpose of pradakshina, a Buddhist and Hindu tradition which involves circling a holy site three times in a clockwise direction. It’s thought to help participants connect with the sacred space within.
Also carved in the surrounding trench wall were five niches used in ancient times as meditation cells.
Though one might not guess it today, Afghanistan was once home to a thriving Buddhist community.
And while totally unique, Takht-e-Rostam is just one of many Buddhist sites throughout the country, with others including the Buddhas of Bamyan, Shewaki Stupa, Topdara Stupa, Mes Aynak, and more.
The reason for creating a stupa in this manner remains a mystery. But archaeologists estimate that it was carved sometime in the 3rd or 4th century AD during the Kushano-Sasanian era.
After Afghanistan had been part of the mighty Kushan Empire for centuries, the territory was absorbed into the Kushano-Sasanian Kingdom, a Persian Sasanian ‘sub-kingdom’ that lasted roughly until the late 4th century AD.
On the topic of Persia, let’s focus on how Takht-e-Rostam (‘Throne of Rostam’) got its name.
Rostam is an important Persian mythological hero, and one of the main characters of the Persian national epic, the Shahnameh.
Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, which he composed in the 11th century, focuses on the chronological succession of kings to have ruled ancient Persia and Greater Iran.
Rostam was not one of these kings, though as a powerful and fearless warrior, he was regarded as ancient Persia’s greatest asset. And throughout the story, he’d outlive many emperors, with his lifespan being described as over 500 years.
At one point in the story, Rostam is searching for his lost stallion, Rakhsh, when he finds himself in Samangan. And upon arrival, he meets a beautiful princess named Tahmineh. Rostam departs shortly after they make love, and Tahmineh eventually gives birth to a son named Sohrab, whom she raises on her own.
But Tahmineh never tells Sohrab that he was the son of a world-famous hero. Nevertheless, Sohrab becomes a great warrior in his own right. But he would align himself with Afrasyab, the Turkic king of Turan and the arch-nemesis of the Iranians.
And during one of the many wars in the epic between Iran and Turan, Rostam and Sohrab find themselves face-to-face on the battlefield in a wrestling match. Rostam is aware of Sohrab’s reputation as a promising young warrior, though neither side has any idea that they’re related.
Incredibly, Sohrab ends up becoming the first person to defeat Rostam. But before he can kill his opponent, Rostam manages to survive by convincing the relatively inexperienced warrior that it was customary to fight in a two-out-of-three round battle. This allows Rostam to return to his camp and rest for the night.
But the following day, Rostam manages to win the second round and kill Sohrab. Before his final breath, however, Sohrab reveals a special armband – the same armband that Rostam gave to Tahmineh in Samangan!
Realizing that they’re father and son, Rostam and Sohrab then share a touching moment on the battlefield before Sohrab departs from the earth, making for one of the Shanameh’s most tragic and heart-wrenching scenes.
Takht-e-Rostam: The Cave Complex
Takht-e-Rostam’s stupa may appear at first to be isolated, but that wasn’t the case in ancient times. Coming down from the large hill, the base is home to an extensive series of caves that likely date to the same time period.
And the caves are accessible to visitors as part of the same archaeological site.
But what was the purpose of these caves? Well, that remains up for debate, but some of them were definitely religious in nature. Upon arrival in the area, the site’s caretaker led us into a large domed cavern.
As mentioned above, the main stupa of Takht-e-Rostam is void of decoration or carvings. But this cave is an exception.
While not that easy to make out due to having been blackened by fires, the ceiling is carved in a large and intricate lotus flower pattern. Not only is it beautiful, but it doesn’t quite resemble Buddhist artwork I’ve seen elsewhere.
Interestingly, it’s been nicknamed ‘Rudaba’s Cave’ by locals after Rostam’s mother. But Rostam was from Zabulistan in southern Afghanistan, and according to legend, he only visited Samangan briefly.
Next, we walked through a long hallway with carved niches on either side. While hard to demonstrate in photographs, this section actually consisted of two parallel halls.
It’s commonly referred to as a bazaar, and it does indeed resemble one. But this is just conjecture, and it’s also possible that the area was part of a larger monastic complex.
After all, only several niches were carved around the stupa at the top of the hill. And such an elaborate religious complex would’ve certainly had more than five resident monks.
As such, it’s more probable that these additional caves and niches served as part of a monastery.
The hallway seemed to go on and on. But eventually, I hit a dead end and turned around. While not underground, the atmosphere reminded me somewhat of the subterranean cave cities of Cappadocia.
Before leaving, there was yet one more domed religious room to explore. This one is about the same size overall as ‘Rudaba’s House’ mentioned above. But the niches in the walls appear to be larger, and likely once housed sizable Buddha images.
But unlike the other dome, there don’t seem to be any carvings in this one. Nearby, meanwhile, we also observed a square pit in the ground which may have served as a water tank.
Interestingly, just months before the Taliban takeover in 2021, the Afghan government announced major renovations at Takht-e-Rostam, with over $600,000 USD set aside to build halls for visitors!
Unsurprisingly, this never ended up happening. But as I never encountered a dedicated visitor center at any other historical site in the country, I do wonder exactly what the previous administration had in mind.
Additional Info
While it may be tempting to choose one of the hotels right across the street from the Blue Mosque on the western side, I checked out several different hotels there and they were all offering terrible value for money. (This was after already having traveled around the country for a few weeks.)
I’d arrived in the city with no prior hotel reservations following a grueling 21-hour shared taxi journey from Herat. So hopping from hotel to hotel in this state was far from ideal. Yet, despite wanting more than anything to lie down and take a rest, most of the places I saw had major flaws.
Many of the rooms were filthy, while a lot of the hotels here fail to provide towels for some reason. The Wifi barely seemed to work in the rooms I checked, while the hotel managers were quoting me double the prices I’d seen online.
Ultimately, I walked over to Hotel Zarafshan and asked if they had a room. Fortunately, they did, and their price was 1500 AFN which included a private bathroom and breakfast. This was one of the best deals I found in Afghanistan and thanks to the friendly staff, it was one of my top accommodation experiences in the country.
They also connected me with a reliable driver to visit Takht-e-Rostam in Samangan Province as a day trip. As we’ll cover in our dedicated guide, Samangan Province also has some special rules in place for foreign visitors, and it’s important to go with an experienced driver who knows exactly what to do.
If you’re looking for something a bit more upscale, you can find Rahat Hotel right across the street from Zarafshan.
Looking at a map of Afghanistan, a lot of the major destinations can be visited by doing a loop around the country. Having arrived in Kabul, I visited Kandahar and then Herat. And I then wanted to visit Mazar-i-Sharif before moving on to Uzbekistan.
The problem was, however, that the roads on this journey are mostly TERRIBLE – or even nonexistent in some parts! Still, transport technically does exist. You’ll have to take a shared taxi from Herat to Maimana, and then from Maimana to Mazar-i-Sharif (the roads on the second leg are mostly fine).
It’s a grueling journey that lasts at least 20 hours in total. But if you’ve found yourself in Herat and opt not to do it, you’ll basically be stuck flying to Kabul, as the land journey between Herat and Kabul is also said to be terrible at the time of writing.
Not only was I on a budget, but I was also determined to complete a much longer land journey between Mumbai and Beijing without taking a single flight. So I had no choice but to opt for the shared taxi.
The shared taxi terminal in Herat is not labeled on any maps application. But it’s located about an 8-minute drive east of the Herat Citadel along the main highway. You might need to ask multiple locals about it, as the first staff member at my hotel I spoke with gave me completely incorrect information. But the next person I asked had the right info and informed a taxi driver where to take me.
I was also told that shared taxis to Maimana leave pretty regularly throughout the day beginning in the morning. Considering the estimated length of the journey, I decided not to go too early.
Note that it’s possible to break up this tough journey by spending a night at a hotel in Maimana. However, I decided to just do everything in one go and save money on hotel fees.
As I didn’t want to arrive in Mazar-i-Sharif in the middle of the night, I decided to depart my hotel in Herat at around 11:00 am.
Upon my arrival at the terminal, a vehicle (an ordinary minivan) would be departing soon. I paid 1700 AFN for the journey, along with an extra 200 AFN to put my luggage on the roof (the dust from the journey would ultimately ruin my suitcase zippers).
The price seemed a bit high, but talking with fellow passengers, that’s also what they paid. I suppose the cost is so expensive because of the terrible road conditions which surely take a heavy toll on any vehicle.
I sat in the back, but if you want a front row seat, expect to pay double!
Fortunately, there was a friendly English-speaking man in the car who kindly helped translate for me whenever necessary.
We started the journey with three grown men in the back seat. It felt a bit cramped, but I thought okay, I’ll just get through it. But we eventually picked up one more passenger, and now four men were crammed in the backseat! It was just as awful as you’d imagine.
There were also two additional passengers in the trunk. I’d originally been offered a space in the station wagon trunk which I declined, but I quickly regretted my decision.
At least we stopped fairly often. And I was somewhat relieved when we got a flat tire at one point, so I could at least get out and walk around.
After several hours, the paved road ended and we drove along on a dirt road which wasn’t so bad yet. We eventually stopped for dinner at a restaurant in a small village at around 20:00.
After dinner, the road completely disappeared. It was just dirt and sand, with no indication of where one was supposed to go. It seemed like a giant dried up river bed, and our driver often had to ford large streams of water.
At around midnight, the car’s gearbox failed, and all the passengers had to walk about twenty minutes to the nearest village after the car was towed.
We were charged at by so many dogs in all directions and had to keep throwing stones to fend them off. There seemed to be an almost endless number of them, and it felt at points like we were in some kind of video game. At one point dogs were even coming at us from three sides simultaneously!
Eventually, however, we made it to the village unscathed. The car was fixed, and we eventually made it to Maimana at around two in the morning.
Despite the late hour, there were taxi drivers waiting at the Maimana terminal for the onward journey to Mazar-i-Sharif. A few people from my journey from Herat got in a car with me, but fortunately there were now just three people in the back instead of four.
I paid 650 AFN for this ride and slept for most of it. But our driver ran into a curb at a roundabout fairly early on! My eyes were closed during the incident, but it was already light out, and I suspect he fell asleep while driving.
We then had to wait for another driver to come and take us in his place. He was also rather reckless but fortunately, there were no more accidents. We finally arrived in Mazar-i-Sharif at around 8 in the morning, bringing my total trip time around 21 hours.
Hilariously, as soon as we arrived, a driver approached us and asked if we wanted to go to Herat! Apparently, you can make the journey from Mazar-i-Sharif to Herat directly without a transfer in Maimana.
Getting to Mazar-i-Sharif from Kabul is fairly straightforward. While I didn’t make the journey myself, the road is said to be paved the whole way, with the ride lasting around five hours.
You should have the option between shared taxis and VIP Buses, but it would be best to confirm things on the ground once you’re there.
It may also be possible to fly via Kam Air or Ariana Afghan Airlines.
For those who’ve entered the country from Tajikistan, you should also be able to find direct transport from Kunduz.
Mazar-i-Sharif is also located right by the border with Uzbekistan. There’s a city right on the other side of the border called Termez, which is a worthy destination in its own right.
When I traveled onward to Uzbekistan, I paid a taxi driver 1500 AFN to take me to the border (I had to work pretty hard to get down to this price). A bus to the border is another possibility.
The border is rather calm compared with the chaos of the Torkham Border with Pakistan, but expect heavy scrutiny on the Uzbek side. Once in Uzbekistan, you should be able to find a taxi on the other side to take you right into town.