Farah فراه
Members of United States armed forces outside the Citadel of Alexander the Great
Farah Location in Afghanistan
Coordinates: 32°20′37″N 62°7′10″E / 32.34361°N 62.11944°E / 32.34361; 62.11944Coordinates: 32°20′37″N 62°7′10″E / 32.34361°N 62.11944°E / 32.34361; 62.11944
Country	Afghanistan
Province	Farah Province
Elevation	2,133 ft (650 m)
Population (2004)
- Total	109,409
Time zone	UTC+4:30

Farah (Afghan:فراه) is a city in western Afghanistan, situated at 650 m altitude, and located on the Farah River. It is the capital of Farah Province, and has a population of approximately 109,409.

Farah is also the resting of the Islamic religious figure Muhammad Jaunpuri, believed by the Mahdavi group to be the Mahdi (Islamic messiah).

History

History of Afghanistan
Timeline
Pre-Islamic period  Bronze age and Proto-Elamite culture in Nimruz area (2300–1800 BC) Bronze age and Indus valley civilization in Mundigak (Kandahar area) (2200–1800 BC) Bronze age and Oxus civilization in northern Afghanistan (2100–1800 BC) Late Bronze age and Iron age and coming of Aryans (1700–700 BC) Median Empire (728–550 BC) Achaemenids (550–330 BC) Seleucids (330–150 BC) Mauryans (305–180 BC) Greco-Bactrians (256–125 BC) Indo-Greeks (180–130 BC) Indo-Scythians (Sakas) (155–80? BC) Indo-Parthians (20 BC–50? AD) Kushans (135 BC–248 AD) Sassanids (230–565) Indo-Sassanids (248–410) Kidarites (320–465) Hephthalites (410–557) Kabul Shahi (565–879)
Islamic conquest  Rashidun Caliphate (642–641) Umayyads (661–750) Abbasids (750–821) Tahirids (821–873) Saffarids (863–900)) Samanids (875–999) Ghaznavids (963–1187) Seljukids (1037–1194) Khwarezmids (1077–1231) Ghorids (1149–1212) Ilkhanate (1258–1353) Kartids (1245–1381) Timurids (1370–1506) Mughals (1501–1738) Safavids (1510–1709) Hotaki dynasty (1709–1738) Afsharids (1738–1747)
Modern history  Durrani Empire (1747–1826) Emirate of Afghanistan (1826–1919) Kingdom of Afghanistan (1919–1973) Republic of Afghanistan (1973–1978) Democratic Republic (1978–1992) Islamic State (1992–1996) Islamic Emirate (1996–2001) Islamic Republic (2001–) Afghan Civil War 1979–1989 1989–1992 1992–1996 1996–2001 2001–present
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Ancient history

The Citadel at Farah is one of a series of fortresses constructed by Alexander the Great, the city being an intermediate stop between Herat, the location of another of Alexander's fortresses, and Kandahar. Under the Parthian Empire, Farah fell under the satrapy of Aria, and was one of its key cities. It is thought to be Phra, mentioned by Isidorus Characenus in the 1st century AD. In the 5th century CE Farah was one of the major strongholds on the eastern frontier of the Sassanid Empire.

The region was historically part of the Persian Khorasan province and was controlled by the Tahirids followed by the Saffarids, Samanids, Ghaznavids, Ghurids, Ilkhanates, Timurids, and Saffavids until the early-18th century when it became part of the Afghan Hotaki dynasty followed by the Durrani Empire.

Islamic conquest

Islam was spread in the region during the 7th century and later the Saffarid dynasty took control of Farah. During the 10th century, Mahmud of Ghazni took possession of the city, followed by the Ghurids in the 12th century. Genghis Khan and his army passed through in the 13th century, and the city fell to the Timurids. It was controlled by the Safavids until 1709, when they were defeated by the Hotaki Afghan forces of Mirwais Hotak.

Anglo-Afghan war

Farah was seized by Sultan Jan, then ruler of Herat, but re-captured by Dost Mohammad Khan on July 8, 1862.

Soviet-Afghan War

At the start of the Soviet invasion, Farah was, along with Herat, Shindand, and Kandahar, occupied by the Soviet 357th and 66th Motorized Rifle Divisions (MRD).

The mujahideen established themselves in the Farah area in 1979. They maintained a presence in the city until they were forced out in 1982, and established a stronghold at the nearby mountain Lor Koh, which they renamed Sharafat Koh ("Honor Mountain"). Primary among the Farah mujahideen groups was the Sharafat Kuh Front.

Civil war to present

Following the collapse of the Soviet-backed government of Najibullah in 1992, Ismail Khan returned to power in Herat, and came to control Farah, as well as the other surrounding provinces of Ghor and Badghis, until Herat fell to the Taliban in 1995.

On 20 November 2009 it was reported that a suicide bomber on a motocycle detonated near a market in Farah Naz city, killing 17 people and wounding 29.

Mullah Hayatullah is the Taliban commander for the province and is known to run suicide training camps.

Demography

U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry watching local boys play basketball

As of 2004, the population of Farah is 109,409. Pashtuns form the overwhelming majority of the city, comprising ca. 90%. The remaining are Tajiks at 7% and Baloch people at 3%.

People from Farah

• Ismail Khan, powerbroker in the Herat area from the 1980s to the 2000s

Economy and transportation

The city is a major trading and farming center in this area.There is an airport with a paved runway which is one of many that were constructed for the hauling of freight and passengers. However, the runway is used and protected by coalition forces to transport supplies to needy Afghans throughout Farah Province. There are secondary roads in different directions from the city. The major road is Route 515 which connects Farah to the Ring Road, both improved in 2009 in coordination with many different ISAF/NATO countries. Many civilian contractors died from Taliban attacks and forgotten landmines from the Soviet invasion.

Books about Farah

A United States Marine provides cover during operations against the Taliban in January 2010.

Little has been written about Farah; some fleeting references can be found in works related to Afghanistan or works that focus on the Great Game Politics of the UK and the Russian Empire during the 19th century. However, 2011 saw the publication of Words in the Dust by author Trent Reedy, who was one of the first American soldiers to enter Farah in 2004. His book, while fiction, is set in Farah City and the wider province.

Healthcare

The city is served by Farah City Hospital.

See also

• Provincial Reconstruction Team
• Granai airstrike