Best Tourist Places to Visit in Qala-Nau, Afghanistan, Asia

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Qala-Nau, Afghanistan, Asia

Qala Nau is situated in Badghis Province in Afghanistan that has an airport which is primarily used for defense and military purpose. Qala-Nau is bound by Herat, Maymana, Chaghcharan and Turkmenistan and it coordinates with 34.59’15” degree North Latitude and 63.07’06” degree East Longitude.

Brief about Badghis Province:

This is one of the 34 Provinces located in northwest Afghanistan situated between Murghab and Hari rivers. Badghis Province is surrounded by Herat, Ghor and Faryab as its adjoining provinces. It covers a total area of 20591 sq kms and positioned 35.0’ degree North Latitude and 63.45’ degree East Longitude. Badghis has majority of population who belong to Tajiks followed by Pashtuns, Uzbeks, Turkmens and Baloch.

Places of attractions in and near Qala-Nau:

Tourists can visit Herat that offers many tourist attractions which are near to Qala-Nau include:

Masjet-e-Jam:

This is one of the most prominent mosques located in Herat which is 800 years old which is otherwise called as Friday Mosque of Blue Mosque. The mosque is not only renowned for its architecture style but also is one of the sacred worshipping centers in Herat. Many Muslims converge at the mosque during Friday namaz and during times of Id and Ramzan.

The Citadel (Qala-i-Ikhtiyar-ud-din):

The citadel originally built by Alexander the Great was rebuilt by Malik Fakhruddin in 1305 A.D. which is known for Afghan architecture and style.

Mousallah Complex:

The complex has a collection of mosques, minarets and medressa which is jointly called as Mousallah complex built by queen Gaur Shad in 1411. There is also a tomb of Gowhar Shaw near the complex. There were 12 minarets in the complex, but due to passage of time nine of them have been destroyed and only three of them are remaining intact within the complex.

Gazar Gah:

Gazar Gah is about 5 kms from Herat known for the tomb of sufi saint Khoja Abdulla Ansari who breathed his last in 11^th century A.D. Other nearby attractions is Main Iwan (main court), Haft Qalam (seven pens), Khana Zarnegar (Pavilion adorned with gold) and Hauze Zamzam (Sacred water pond).

Other places to visit in Herat are:

Chisht-i-Sharif
Tomb of Jami
Darwaze Khosh
Chaharsu
Howz-e-Karbas
Park-e Taraki
Herat Museum
Jihad Museum
Tomb of khaje Qaltan
Gazargah Sharif Mosque
Tomb of Queen Goharshad

Weather in Qala-Nau:

Qala-Nau experiences a very hot and subtropical weather conditions during the summers where the maximum temperature goes above 40 degrees. Thus the best time for the tourists to visit the place would be during months of winter where the climate remains cool, pleasant and favorable. Since the region experiences severe cold wave conditions where the minimum temperature dips to low of -25 degrees, the tourists can advised to carry heavy woolens and thermals to overcome such harsh climatic conditions.

Culture, people and food in Qala-Nau:

Qala-Nau is rich in culture as many festivals like Eid, Bakrid, Ramzan and Moharrum are celebrated in a grand scale. People of Qala-Nau are very affectionate and friendly and they always give a helping hand to those in distress. Tourists visiting Qala-Nau can tickle their taste buds with some traditional spicy authentic Afghan cuisines and dishes like rice pulaos, soups, kurmas, biryanis and so on.

Transportation in Qala-Nau:

Qala-Nau is well connected by road and air means of transport where work on 233 km highway from Qala-Nau to Muqur district have commenced and work is going on in full swing. Bus services are also available from Qala-Nau to nearby cities like Herat, Ghor, Faryab and Mary Province at regular point of time. Though Qala-Nau is connected by an airport, this is mainly used for military and defense purposes and not being used for civil purpose. The nearest major airport is Herat Airport which is close to Qala-Nau.

Hotels in Qala-Nau:

There are some good hotels located in Qala-Nau providing decent accommodation facilities to the tourists visiting the place. The hotels range from 1 star club to 4 star club offering hosts of amenities and services. The tariffs and rates differ from hotel to hotel and the tourists can pick and choose the hotel they want as per their choice and preference. Some top class hotels provide services like 24 hrs help desk, lift and elevators, room coolers, room heaters, airport shuttle, entertainment staffs, laundry and dry-cleaning facilities, ironing etc. Here is the list of some of the hotels located in Herat which is near to Qala-Nau: