Balkh Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels

About Balkh

Balkh has been inhabited since before 1000 BCE, and is mentioned in the Hindu Vedas. It was the capital of the historic region ofBactria, even before the arrival of Alexander the Great, and of a Greco-Bactrian kingdom ruled by some ofAlexander's successors. It was sacked twice by the Mongols, first byGhengis Khanand later byTamerlane. Both of the great medieval travellers,Marco PoloandIbn Battuta, visited it. The city was the regional capital until the 19th century when it was mostly abandoned during an epidemic andMazar-e Shariftook over. Today Mazar is the largest and most important city of the region.

Top Attractions in Balkh

Explore the best things to see and do in Balkh:

• ★Bala Hissar
• ★Dargah of Rabia Balkhi
• ★Noh Gonbad (Haji Piyada) Mosque
• ★Shrine of Khoja Abu Nasar Parsa
• ★Tepe-i Rustam

Balkh Travel Guide Sections

Our comprehensive guide covers 11 sections including: