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.
History
Lashkar Gah means "army barracks" in
Persian. 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 Rivers, 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...
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