Lashkargah
Encyclopedia
Lashkar Gah , historically also called Bost, is a city in southern Afghanistan
and the capital of Helmand Province
, located in Lashkar Gah district. It is situated between the Helmand
and Arghandab
rivers. Lashkar Gah is linked by highways with Kandahar
to the east, Zaranj
to the west, and Herat
to the north-west. It is mostly very arid and desolate. However, farming does exist around the Helmand and Arghandab rivers. Bost Airport
is located on the east bank of the Helmand River, five miles north of the junction of the Helmand and Argahandab rivers.
. It grew up a thousand years ago as a riverside barracks town for soldiers accompanying the Ghaznavid nobility to their grand winter capital of Bost. The ruins of the Ghaznavid mansions still stand along the Helmand River; the city of Bost and its outlying communities were sacked in successive centuries by the Ghorids, Genghis Khan
, and Timur Leng.
The great fortress of Bost, Qala-e-Bost, remains an impressive ruin. It is located at 31° 30’ 02″ N, 64° 21’ 24″ E near the convergence of the Helmand and Arghandab River
s, a half hour's drive south of Lashkar Gah. Qala-e-Bost is famous for its decorative arch, which appears on the 100 Afghani note (Afghan currency). As of April 2008, it was possible to descend into an ancient shaft about 20 feet across and 200 feet deep, with a series of dark side rooms and a spiral staircase leading to the bottom. In 2006 construction began on a cobblestone road to lead from the south of Lashkar Gah to the Qala-e-Bost Arch (known to readers of James A. Michener
's Caravans
as Qala Bist.)http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/enlarge/qala-e-bost-arch_pod_image.html
The modern city of Lashkar Gah was built as a headquarters for American engineers working on the Helmand Valley Authority
(HVA) irrigation project in the 1950s, modeled after the Tennessee Valley Authority
(TVA) in the US. Lashkar Gah was built using American designs, with broad tree-lined streets and brick houses with no walls separating them from the street. In the wake of the Soviet invasion and the long Afghan civil war, the trees mostly came down and walls went up.
The massive Helmand irrigation project in the 1940s-1970s created one of the most extensive farming zones in southern Afghanistan, opening up many thousands of hectares of desert to human cultivation and habitation. The project focused on three large canals: the Boghra, Shamalan, and Darweshan. Responsibility for maintaining the canals was given to the Helmand Arghandab Valley Authority (HAVA), a semi-independent government agency whose authority (in its heyday) rivaled that of the provincial governors.
and ends in Hamun-i-Helmand in the Sistan and Baluchistan province of Iran
.
One of the two primary arms of the river crosses through Lashkar Gah, giving it the attractive air of a riverside city. It makes for a pleasant setting for the citizens of Lashkar Gah to picnic. The river is deep enough at Lashkar Gah to allow for varied water sports, including swimming and boating. Boats are available for hire to the citizens. Mirwais Neka park was recently built on the banks of the river. There is a large thicket located on the opposite side of the river from the city. Many types of trees and different species of birds, mammals, and reptiles inhabit the thicket.
The level of education in Lashkar Gah had been very high during 1960s and 70s before the Soviet Invasion and Civil War. The students were talented, active, and hard workers. They were always taking up good positions within the universities. There are around 27 schools, a teacher's training institute, an agricultural school and Bost University
in Lashkar Gah. The university was registered with the Ministry of Higher Education in 2007, and was inaugurated by former governor of Helmand Province
, Assadullah Wafa
. Bost University currently only provides education in the field of Agriculture
. There are also many computer and English language courses in the city, and thousands of students are attending them.
Besides the activities of the Department of Culture and Information of Helmand Province, the youth are also actively involved in different cultural and educational activities. There are different cultural groups operating in Lashkar Gah, including: the Helmand Youth Organization, the Bost Cultural Society, the Allama Mahmud Tarzi
Educational and Cultural Association, and the Helmand Cultural Group. There are also various cultural and educational websites which are made and updated by students and cultural organizations.
There is broad use of the media in Lashkar Gah. The use of Radio
, Television
, and Internet
has significantly increased among people. Several radio stations are broadcasting in Lashkar Gah, for example: the Tamadoon Radio 107 FM, the Sabawoon Radio station, the Samoon Radio station, and the Helmand Radio. There is also a Bost Television channel broadcasting from Lashkar Gah.
The city of Lashkar Gah has undergone large scale development in the past few years with new roads, markets and residential areas constructed. Many Afghans continue to leave their tribes and emigrate towards cities - such as Lashkar Gah. Government projects distributed land to the people, increasing the approximate size of the city. Modern architecture and building methods are more common, now, here than Mud squats and other more traditional Afghan architecture. The current Governor
of Helmand province, Gulab Mangal, has funded large scale development of the city, the Governor’s office and Justice Department have been recently renovated, new Police Headquarters and Eidgah
have also been funded. Unlike much of Afghanistan
the roads in Lashkar Gah are generally paved with asphalt. International Organizations and PRT in Lashkar Gah have helped to complete rehabilitation and infrastructure projects such as building: schools, roads and parks.
A current project in the city, to aid regeneration is the "Lashkar Gah Bost Airport and Agriculture Center". This project will consist of constructing a new agricultural center, an Industrial Park
and will repair, upgrade and modernise Bost Airport
through renovation projects.
As part of Operation Moshtarak
- the British Army
and local workforces constructed Route Trident
, a road to connect Lashkar Gah and the northern, more economic, city of Gereshk
,
Governor Mangal's efforts to restructure the city have left Route Trident
underfunded but highly ranked in the priority of rebuilding Lashkar Gah.
Football is very popular in Lashkar Gah. The Lashkar Gah football stadium was rebuilt in 2006, and has a capacity of more than 10,000 spectators. Currently, 13 registered cricket teams are playing at the new Karzai Stadium in Lashkar Gah, which was completed in the summer of 2009.
Bodybuilding has also attracted the youth of Lashkar Gah. There are several gymnasiums in the city. Aziz Ahmad Nikyar gained the title of Mr. Afghanistan in 2006, and also participated in the 2006 Asian Games representing Afghanistan. Other popular sports in Lashkar Gah are Taekwondo
, Boxing
, Snooker
, Volleyball
.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and the capital of Helmand Province
Helmand Province
Helmand is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the southwest of the country. Its capital is Lashkar Gah. The Helmand River flows through the mainly desert region, providing water for irrigation....
, located in Lashkar Gah district. It is situated between the Helmand
Helmand River
The Helmand River is the longest river in Afghanistan and the primarily watershed for the endorheic Sistan Basin....
and Arghandab
Arghandab River
Arghandab is a river in Afghanistan, about in length. It rises in the Hazarajat country north-west of Ghazni, and flows south-west falls into the Helmand below Girishk. In its lower course it is much used for irrigation, and the valley is cultivated and populous; yet the water is said to be...
rivers. Lashkar Gah is linked by highways with Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
to the east, Zaranj
Zaranj
Zaranj or Zarang is a border town in south-western Afghanistan, with a population of approximately 49,851 people as of 2004. It is the capital of Nimruz province and is situated next to Milak, Iran. It is linked by highways with Lashkar Gah to the east, Farah to the north and Zabol in Iran to the...
to the west, and Herat
Herat
Herāt is the capital of Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of about 397,456 as of 2006. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan...
to the north-west. It is mostly very arid and desolate. However, farming does exist around the Helmand and Arghandab rivers. Bost Airport
Bost Airport
Bost Airport is located on the east bank of the Helmand River in Afghanistan, north of the junction of the Helmand and Arghandab rivers. The Airport was established in 1957 with the assistance of the United States. In 2008, a large project commenced to rehabilitate the current airport as well as...
is located on the east bank of the Helmand River, five miles north of the junction of the Helmand and Argahandab rivers.
History
Lashkar Gah means "army barracks" in PersianPersian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
. It grew up a thousand years ago as a riverside barracks town for soldiers accompanying the Ghaznavid nobility to their grand winter capital of Bost. The ruins of the Ghaznavid mansions still stand along the Helmand River; the city of Bost and its outlying communities were sacked in successive centuries by the Ghorids, Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
, and Timur Leng.
Arghandab River
Arghandab is a river in Afghanistan, about in length. It rises in the Hazarajat country north-west of Ghazni, and flows south-west falls into the Helmand below Girishk. In its lower course it is much used for irrigation, and the valley is cultivated and populous; yet the water is said to be...
s, a half hour's drive south of Lashkar Gah. Qala-e-Bost is famous for its decorative arch, which appears on the 100 Afghani note (Afghan currency). As of April 2008, it was possible to descend into an ancient shaft about 20 feet across and 200 feet deep, with a series of dark side rooms and a spiral staircase leading to the bottom. In 2006 construction began on a cobblestone road to lead from the south of Lashkar Gah to the Qala-e-Bost Arch (known to readers of James A. Michener
James A. Michener
James Albert Michener was an American author of more than 40 titles, the majority of which were sweeping sagas, covering the lives of many generations in particular geographic locales and incorporating historical facts into the stories...
's Caravans
Caravans (novel)
Caravans, a novel by James A. Michener, was published in 1963.The story is set in Afghanistan immediately following World War II. The protagonist, Mark Miller, is stationed in Kabul at the American embassy and is given the assignment of an investigation to find a young woman, Ellen Jaspar, also...
as Qala Bist.)http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/enlarge/qala-e-bost-arch_pod_image.html
Helmand Valley Authority
The Helmand Valley Authority was an agricultural project financed by the United States of America in Afghanistan from 1949-1963 along the Helmand River and Arghandab River.-References:*...
(HVA) irrigation project in the 1950s, modeled after the Tennessee Valley Authority
Tennessee Valley Authority
The Tennessee Valley Authority is a federally owned corporation in the United States created by congressional charter in May 1933 to provide navigation, flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development in the Tennessee Valley, a region particularly affected...
(TVA) in the US. Lashkar Gah was built using American designs, with broad tree-lined streets and brick houses with no walls separating them from the street. In the wake of the Soviet invasion and the long Afghan civil war, the trees mostly came down and walls went up.
The massive Helmand irrigation project in the 1940s-1970s created one of the most extensive farming zones in southern Afghanistan, opening up many thousands of hectares of desert to human cultivation and habitation. The project focused on three large canals: the Boghra, Shamalan, and Darweshan. Responsibility for maintaining the canals was given to the Helmand Arghandab Valley Authority (HAVA), a semi-independent government agency whose authority (in its heyday) rivaled that of the provincial governors.
Drug connection
According to a recent BBC programme which interviewed and American born Afghan, whose father worked on the irrigation project, it was envisaged to create agriculture, but has in fact in recent times contributed ironically to the growth of opium poppy farming.Helmand River
The Helmand river is the longest in Afghanistan with a length of 1,150 km. The river originates in the Hindu KushHindu Kush
The Hindu Kush is an mountain range that stretches between central Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. The highest point in the Hindu Kush is Tirich Mir in the Chitral region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.It is the westernmost extension of the Pamir Mountains, the Karakoram Range, and is a...
and ends in Hamun-i-Helmand in the Sistan and Baluchistan province of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
.
One of the two primary arms of the river crosses through Lashkar Gah, giving it the attractive air of a riverside city. It makes for a pleasant setting for the citizens of Lashkar Gah to picnic. The river is deep enough at Lashkar Gah to allow for varied water sports, including swimming and boating. Boats are available for hire to the citizens. Mirwais Neka park was recently built on the banks of the river. There is a large thicket located on the opposite side of the river from the city. Many types of trees and different species of birds, mammals, and reptiles inhabit the thicket.
Parks and recreational places
- Mirwais Khan Hotak Park is located on the bank of the Helmand RiverHelmand RiverThe Helmand River is the longest river in Afghanistan and the primarily watershed for the endorheic Sistan Basin....
. - Mohammadd Rasul Akhondzada Park is located at the center of the city.
- Baba-e-Millat Park is huge park which covers an area of seven hectares, and is located on the bank of Helmand river, on the outskirts of Lashkar Gah.
- Ladies Park.
Education, cultural groups and media
Bost University
Bost University is located in Lashkar Gah city of Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. It was established on September 16, 2009.Bost University is home to over 40 local students. Agriculture faculty is the only active faculty as of 2010....
in Lashkar Gah. The university was registered with the Ministry of Higher Education in 2007, and was inaugurated by former governor of Helmand Province
Helmand Province
Helmand is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. It is in the southwest of the country. Its capital is Lashkar Gah. The Helmand River flows through the mainly desert region, providing water for irrigation....
, Assadullah Wafa
Assadullah Wafa
Assadullah Wafa is the former governor of the Afghan province of Helmand, and formerly governor of Kunar Province of Afghanistan and a previous governor of the Paktia Province where he was succeeded by Hakim Taniwal. His first name is sometimes spelled "Asadullah"...
. Bost University currently only provides education in the field of Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. There are also many computer and English language courses in the city, and thousands of students are attending them.
Besides the activities of the Department of Culture and Information of Helmand Province, the youth are also actively involved in different cultural and educational activities. There are different cultural groups operating in Lashkar Gah, including: the Helmand Youth Organization, the Bost Cultural Society, the Allama Mahmud Tarzi
Mahmud Tarzi
Mahmūd Bēg Tarzī was one of Afghanistan's greatest intellectuals. He is known as the father of Afghan journalism...
Educational and Cultural Association, and the Helmand Cultural Group. There are also various cultural and educational websites which are made and updated by students and cultural organizations.
There is broad use of the media in Lashkar Gah. The use of Radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, Television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, and Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
has significantly increased among people. Several radio stations are broadcasting in Lashkar Gah, for example: the Tamadoon Radio 107 FM, the Sabawoon Radio station, the Samoon Radio station, and the Helmand Radio. There is also a Bost Television channel broadcasting from Lashkar Gah.
Development
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Helmand province, Gulab Mangal, has funded large scale development of the city, the Governor’s office and Justice Department have been recently renovated, new Police Headquarters and Eidgah
Eidgah
Eidgah or Idgah is an open-air mosque usually outside the city to perform Eid ul-Fitr and Eid al-Adha salah.It was a practice of Prophet Muhammad to perform Eid Salaah in Eidgah at the outskirts of the city...
have also been funded. Unlike much of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
the roads in Lashkar Gah are generally paved with asphalt. International Organizations and PRT in Lashkar Gah have helped to complete rehabilitation and infrastructure projects such as building: schools, roads and parks.
A current project in the city, to aid regeneration is the "Lashkar Gah Bost Airport and Agriculture Center". This project will consist of constructing a new agricultural center, an Industrial Park
Industrial park
An industrial park is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development...
and will repair, upgrade and modernise Bost Airport
Bost Airport
Bost Airport is located on the east bank of the Helmand River in Afghanistan, north of the junction of the Helmand and Arghandab rivers. The Airport was established in 1957 with the assistance of the United States. In 2008, a large project commenced to rehabilitate the current airport as well as...
through renovation projects.
As part of Operation Moshtarak
Operation Moshtarak
Operation Moshtarak was an ISAF pacification offensive in the area that is described as the "poppy-growing belt" of Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. The combat operations started on February 13, 2010, and focuses on the Nad Ali District and Lashkar Gah district...
- the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and local workforces constructed Route Trident
Route Trident
Route Trident was built by the British Army's Royal Engineers in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The construction of the road was codenamed Operation Lar Jarowel by the Ministry of Defence...
, a road to connect Lashkar Gah and the northern, more economic, city of Gereshk
Gereshk
Gereshk is a town in Gerishk District in Helmand province on the Helmand River in central Afghanistan, some northwest of Kandahar at 817 m altitude. Gereshk is the centre of a rich agricultural region with the Kajakai dam upriver diverting water to the Boghra Irrigation Canal. Gereshk was...
,
Governor Mangal's efforts to restructure the city have left Route Trident
Route Trident
Route Trident was built by the British Army's Royal Engineers in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The construction of the road was codenamed Operation Lar Jarowel by the Ministry of Defence...
underfunded but highly ranked in the priority of rebuilding Lashkar Gah.
Sports
Bodybuilding has also attracted the youth of Lashkar Gah. There are several gymnasiums in the city. Aziz Ahmad Nikyar gained the title of Mr. Afghanistan in 2006, and also participated in the 2006 Asian Games representing Afghanistan. Other popular sports in Lashkar Gah are Taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
, Boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, Snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
, Volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
.
See also
- AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
- International Security Assistance ForceInternational Security Assistance ForceThe International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
- Provincial Reconstruction TeamProvincial reconstruction teamA Provincial Reconstruction Team is a unit introduced by the United States government, consisting of military officers, diplomats, and reconstruction subject matter experts, working to support reconstruction efforts in unstable states. PRTs were first established in Afghanistan in late 2001 or...
- NATO