Tourism in Afghanistan

The tourism industry of Afghanistan, developed with government help in the early 1970s, has been negligible since 1979 due to internal political instability. A passport and visa are required for entrance into Afghanistan. In 1999, the UN estimated the daily cost of staying in Kabul at $70 USD. Approximately 61% of these costs were estimated to be the price of a room in a guesthouse. It also has a high rate for hotels. Travel was highly restricted in the country due to the US-led campaign against the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

Afghan embassies issue between 15,000 and 20,000 tourist visas annually. In 2014, bookings for adventure trips were doubled in Afghanistan.

Places

Indus Valley Civilisation cities

The Indus Valley Civilisation (IVC) was a Bronze Age civilisation (3300-1300 BCE; mature period 2600-1900 BCE) extending from what today is northwest Pakistan to northwest India and northeast Afghanistan. An Indus Valley site has been found on the Oxus River at Shortugai in northern Afghanistan. Apart from Shortughai tourists can visit Mundigak which is another notable site.

National Museum of Afghanistan

National museum of Afghanistan.

The museums collection had earlier been one of the most important in Central Asia, with over 100,000 items dating back several millennia. With the start of the civil war in 1992, the museum was looted numerous times resulting in a loss of 70% of the 100,000 objects on display. Since 2007, a number of international organizations have helped to recover over 8,000 artifacts, the most recent being a limestone sculpture from Germany. Approximately 843 artifacts were returned by the United Kingdom in 2012, including the famous 1st Century Bagram Ivories.

Babur Gardens

Babur Gardens.

The Gardens of Babur is a historic park in Kabul, Afghanistan, and also the last resting-place of the first Mughal emperor Babur. The gardens are thought to have been developed around 1528 AD (935 AH) when Babur gave orders for the construction of an ‘avenue garden’ in Kabul, described in some detail in his memoirs, the Baburnama. Lonely Planet describes the park as the loveliest spot in Kabul.

The Kabul Zoo

Another place of interest is the Kabul Zoo. It is located in Kabul, Afghanistan, on the bank of the Kabul River. As of 2010, the zoo has about 280 animals, which includes 45 species of birds and mammals and 36 species of fish. Among the animals there are two lions and Afghanistan's only pig. As many as 10,000 people visit during the weekends.

See also

• Visa policy of Afghanistan

External links

• Afghanistan's bid to boost tourism BBC News, August 22, 2011
• [1] Afghan Directory - tourism companies, airlines, media, embassies
• [2] Afghani local tourism agency ; "Let's be friends - Afghanistan"