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Farah, Afghanistan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (January 2007) |
| Farah | |
  Farah
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| Province | Farah |
| Coordinates | |
| Population | 37,400 |
| Area - Elevation |
650 m (2,133 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC+4:30 Kabul |
Farāh (Pashto, Persian: فراه) is a city in western Afghanistan. It is situated at 650 m altitude. The Farah River runs through it. The population is 37,400. It is the capital of Farah Province.
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Farah has great historical value because it contains a citadel built by the famed Alexander the Great. "The Citadel" is one of a series of fortresses constructed by the Macedonian Conqueror. Farah was an intermediate stop between Herat, home of another of Alexander's fortresses, and Kandahar. It was probably the Phra mentioned by Isidore of Charax in the 1st century A.D. It was sacked by the armies of Genghis Khan, and the survivors were transported to a position farther north, where there are still great ruins. The population returned to the original site after the destruction of the medieval city by Shah Abbas, and the city prospered again until its bloody siege by Nadir Shah of Persia. The city is also famous for an eighteen year old boy named Mohammad Ilyas khan who was known for his bravery and courage during the Soviet war. He managed to kill 30 Russian soldiers on his own before fleeing to Iran as the Soviets advanced further.
The city is a major trading and farming center in this area. There is an airport with gravel runway. The airport is in bad condition now, due to the absence of railroads and the inadequacy of the road networks. This airfield is one of many that were constructed for the hauling of freight and passengers. However, it has deteriorated to the point where it is unusable due to vegetation encroachment and erosion along the entire runway length. There are secondary roads in different directions from the city.
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