Mazar-E Sharif
(2002 est. pop. 240,000). Mazar-e Sharif is a major city in northern Afghanistan, located about 320 kilometers northwest of the capital city of Kabul. The city was founded by pilgrims when the tomb of Ali, the brother-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad and an important figure for Shi'ite Muslims, was discovered in 1480. The tomb, which today dominates the skyline, had been buried by the residents of the Greco-Bactrian town of Balkh in 1220 to hide it from Genghis Khan's rampaging armies, and then forgotten. After the establishment of the community, pilgrimages by Shi'ite Muslims to the tomb for the New Year's celebration of Nao Roc and a brisk trade in the melons, high quality cotton, and grains grown in the fertile river plains enabled Mazar-e Sharif to become the region's largest city. In 1852 it was consolidated as part of the Afghan state, controlled at that time by the British.
Mazar-e Sharif's proximity to the border of Uzbekistan and large Uzbek minority made it irresistible to Soviet forces during the Soviet-Afghan conflict of 1979–1989. The Soviets established a military command there during their ill-fated invasion in 1979. Thousands were killed when the Taliban took control of the rebel city in 1998. In November 2001 Mazar-e Sharif was retaken by Northern Alliance troops, providing a beachhead for U.S. troops battling the Taliban.
Further Reading
Afghan-Info. (2002) "City of Mazar-i-Sharif Home." Retrieved 9 March 2002, from: http://www.afghan-info.com/mazar.htm.
Ewans, Martin (2002) Afghanistan: A Short History of its People and Politics. New York: HarperCollins.
Sabawoon.com. (2002) "Afganapedia." Retrieved 9 March 2002, from: http://www.sabawoon.com/afghanpedia/Cit y.Mazar-e-Sharif.htm.
Shah, Sirdah Ikbal Ali. (2002) Afghanistan of the Afghans. New Delhi: Bahvana Books.
Goodman, Larry P. (2002) Afghanistan's Endless Rule. Seattle: University of Washington Press.
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