Herat Old City

Herat, in western Afghanistan near the Iranian border, is one of the country's oldest and most cultured cities, a great crossroads of the Silk Road that flourished under the Timurids as a renowned centre of art, poetry and learning. Its crowning glory is the magnificent Friday Mosque, or Masjid-i Jami, adorned with dazzling tilework, alongside the surviving minarets of a vast former religious complex, the imposing Herat Citadel dating back to the era of Alexander the Great, and old bazaars and shrines. Together they make Herat one of the finest surviving expressions of Afghanistan's rich Islamic architecture and heritage.

What to look for

• The Friday Mosque - the magnificent tiled Masjid-i Jami.
• The minarets - the surviving towering minarets of the old complex.
• The Herat Citadel - the imposing ancient fortress over the city.
• The old bazaars - the historic markets and shrines.

When to go

Spring and autumn, roughly March to May and September to November, are the mildest and loveliest months to explore Herat's mosque, minarets and bazaars, avoiding the fierce summer heat and cold winter nights. The clear, warm light of these seasons best sets off the city's dazzling tilework.

Practical notes

Herat's historic monuments are spread across a busy, working city, so exploring them takes time amid the everyday bustle, and the surviving minarets of the old complex stand somewhat weathered by the centuries. As a great historic Silk Road city and one of the jewels of Islamic art and architecture, with its magnificent mosque, minarets and citadel, though, Herat is of genuine and lasting beauty.

Nearby

The shrines and gardens of the surrounding Herat region lie close by.