Kandahar was the seat of power of the Taliban when they controlled the country. All decisions were made by Mullah Omar in this dusty town currently home to several thousand US soldiers. Many sections of the city are off-limits and militia troops on the street prevented me from going into the far edges of town where they said Al Qaeda and Taliban live. As in the rest of the Afghanistan there are plenty of friendly Afghans and everyone is eager to learn English, but there is also (as you would expect) a strong anti-western sentiment here. While Hamid Karzai is a Pashtun, the major government ministries are dominated by the Tajiks of the Northern Alliance and many Pashtuns feel that they lack adequate government representation because the Taliban were Pashtuns. Most of the main sights in town are located near the Citadel in the center of the market. As with Mazar-i-Sharif, the town is not secure. US soldiers are twenty miles away on their base and do not participate in the policing of the city. In fact, I never saw a US soldier anywhere in Kandahar. Mausoleum of Ahmed Shah Durrani Those unfamiliar with Afghan history probably don't know the importance of Durrani, one of the great leaders of the country. His octagonal mausoleum has some beautiful designwork and is well worth seeing. Da Kherga Sherif Ziarat Those who have studied Islam are probably familiar with the numerous relics of Mohammed scattered throughout Islamic countries. One of the best place to see some is at Badshahi Mosque in Lahore. In Kandahar there is this shrine dedicated to Mohammed's cloak. The cloak has only been taken out on a few occasions, most recently by Mullah Omar in an attempt to assert his power as head mullah. Photography is prohibited in the area. Mullah Omar's House The house of former Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar is now a government office and is not open to the public. Its roof contains layer upon layer of tires on top of a thick layer of concrete. All of this was covered by a false wooden roof. When the US dropped a bomb on the house, the impact was completely absorbed by all the layers of tires. Very clever. It's located on the road out of town towards Herat and Forty Steps. Forty Steps (Chihlzina) Large steps carved out ofsolidrock lead up tosome beautiful carvings i a small chamber overlooking Kandahar. The climb up the steps is quite steep in places and the large size of the individual steps makes it a bit dangerous (although probably not as dangerous as walking around Kandahar). The metal railing has fallen off in many places. The carvings have been ruined in places by gunfire (people at the bottom of the hill firing into the small cave for target practice). Good views of Kandahar from the top. Hotels There are hotesl near Kandahar's bus station but these aren't a good choice. The largest hotel near the bus station was occupied by Al Qaeda and had its top floor blown off in the US bombing campaign. The management now won't rent rooms to westerners. Better accomodation options can be found on the road to Herat near Shahidanu Chowk. Most journalists stay at the Nur Jahan Hotel or its guesthouse farther down on the road to Herat. For a cheaper option, check out the nearby Maiwas Hotel closer to Shahidanu Chowk. The owner is a Hazara who speaks excellent English.                                           Home
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