Herat, western Afghanistan

Herat, capital of Herat province in western Afghanistan, is situated in the valley of the Hari River and the country’s third-largest city with a population of almost 450,000, including Tajiks, Turkmen and Uzbeks. During the 16th and 17th centuries the region owed allegiance to the Safavids of Persia (Iran), and even today the language spoken here is Dari, a dialect of Persian. The city is about 2,700 years old and has many historic buildings, although these have suffered damage in various military conflicts during the last few decades.

A father and his young son on a donkey in the main street of Herat.

Waiting for customers on a street corner in Herat, these “Gandi” horse-drawn carriages were a welcome alternative to the mainly Russian-built taxis.

Traffic in the streets of Herat is mostly non-motorised .

Open front shops along a sidewalk in Herat.

Fitting out a horse with new horseshoes is a job that has to be done frequently in a country that makes good use of the original horsepower.

A friendly shopkeeper waiting for customers in this open-fronted shop, typical of Afghanistan. Herat is an agricultural as well as a cultural centre.

An open air shop in the centre of Herat. These open fronted shops are typical of the old city.

“Nan”, the traditional Afghani bread, is made by shaping dough into large circular slabs that are then slapped against the walls inside the stone ovens to cook. Delicious.

The ancient citadel of Herat has deteriorated badly over the years, but its crumbling ruins make a startling contrast with the gleaming minarets of the Jami mosque. It is possible to walk around its outer wall, but access is restricted because it is an army post.

There are always men making and selling things to eat on the streets and there is nothing better than these freshly made biscuits.

The “Chai-kana” or tea house is an essential part of Afghan life and any time of the day a large brass samovar keeps water hot for endless pots of tea.

Herat is the centre of the agricultural area around it and farmers trade their produce in the market here.

Free toys: these boys had tied large wasps to strings and let them fly around like miniature kites.

Camels are a common sight and still widely used as beasts of burden. Afghan camel drivers were vital during the exploration of outback Australia in the 19th Century.

View of Masjid-e-Jami, or Friday Mosque, one of the finest islamic buildings in the world. It was built in 1498 and has been restored since 1943.

The glorious Masjid-e-Jami or Friday Mosque as seen from the gardens behind it. The beautiful decorations that cover this marvellous religious building are an absolute delight and are among the finest in the Islamic world.

A man guides his small donkey caravan past a butcher shop, carcasses hanging outside. His wife, almost invisible in her all-enveloping black “burqa” and small daughter in contrasting bright clothes, may ride.

Camels are still very valuable in Afghanistan; in the late 19th Century it was Afghani camel drivers who helped open up the vast Australian outback.

Keeping the camel seated by placing a foot on his leg, it was offloaded.

Transport in Herat was for a good part still by animal power, with donkeys and “Gandi” horse drawn carriages.

Camels and a man carrying “nan”, the traditional Afghani bread on a street in Herat.

Boys flying their kites are a common sight, like here in Herat, an activity apparently banned during the Taliban regime!

Young boys of Herat are flying their home-made kites, an everyday sight in Afghanistan, until the Taliban regime apparently forbade it. But that finished with its overthrow.

A street corner in the old city of Herat. There are open-fronted shops and a public pump where the women come to fetch water.

A vegetable market in the old city of Herat. Herat is the centre of a rich agricultural region.

Making brass ornaments in a small workshop in Herat.

In a workshop in Herat a man uses a hand-operated lathe. By moving the bow back and forth, he turns the wooden rod and makes a groove with a chisel.

Shops specialising in metalware line the sidewalk of this street in the old city of Herat. There are whole streets dedicated to particular trades.