The oldest building in the city of Herat and one of the most ancient in Afghanistan, the stone Citadel of Herat, was built by the famous General Alexander the Great in 330 BC, and since then it has towered over the old city, observing the period of prosperity and collapse of many empires for more than 2000 years. All this time, this powerful defensive fortress regularly fulfilled its purpose. There was a royal residence and a military garrison, and later there was even a city prison. And only in 2005, the famous citadel was opened to visitors for the first time, and it received the status of one of the main tourist attractions in Afghanistan.
Currently, inside the stone walls about 2 meters thick, you can see a delightful public park, and 18 well-preserved towers that rise to a height of more than 30 meters, like menacing guards, protect the peace of all its guests. Throughout its history, the magnificent fortress was repeatedly raided and destroyed, but it was also quickly restored and rebuilt by its new rulers. The impressive fortress structure that you can see in Herat today was built in 1415 by Shah Rukh - the son of the legendary conqueror Tamerlane and the father of the famous astronomer Ulugh Beg. Miraculously survived from destruction in 1953, thanks to padishah Mohammed Zahir Shah, the medieval citadel was completely restored by UNESCO.
Today, the majestic stone Citadel of Herat is a huge complex consisting of two rows of defensive walls. Inside, there are Upper and Lower fortresses with round and semicircular observation towers, where fragments of glazed tiles from the times of the Timurid Empire are perfectly preserved. Besides, there are several city museums and active handicraft workshops, and from the height of the fortress walls, you can enjoy a fantastic view of the entire city of Herat.