Farah, Afghanistan

For other uses, see Farah.

Farah

فراه

Provincial capital

Farah

Location in Afghanistan

Coordinates:  [ ⚑ ] : 32°20′37″N 62°7′10″E﻿ / ﻿32.34361°N 62.11944°E﻿ / 32.34361; 62.11944}
Country|  Afghanistan
Province| Farah
District| Farah
Government

[1]

• Type| Municipality
• Mayor| Mufti Sardar Mohammad Mirsad
Area

[2]

• Land| 29 km2 (11 sq mi)
Elevation

[3]

| 650 m (2,130 ft)
Population

(2025)[4]

• Provincial capital| 141,091
• Urban

| 48,132
• Rural

| 92,959
Time zone| UTC+04:30 (Afghanistan Time)
ISO 3166 code| AF-FAH

Farah (Pashto[lower-alpha 1], Dari[lower-alpha 2]: فراه), is a city in western Afghanistan that serves as the capital of Farah Province. It is within the jurisdiction of Farah District and has an estimated population of 141,091 people.[4] Mufti Sardar Mohammad Mirsad is the current mayor of the city.[1]

Farah has a number of bazaars, business centers, public parks, banks, hotels, restaurants, mosques, hospitals, universities, and places to play sports or just relax. It is home to Farah University, which is located in the southeastern part of the city. The Farah Airport is a short distance north of the university, next to the main road leading to Delaram in the east. The tomb and mausoleum of Muhammad Jaunpuri is also in Farah.

Sitting at an elevation of approximately 650 m (2,130 ft) above sea level,[3] Farah is one of the largest cities in western Afghanistan. It is located on the Farah River, roughly 125 km (78 mi) from the Afghanistan–Iran border. The city has a land area of 29 km2 (11 sq mi) or 2,949 ha (7,290 acres).[2] In 2025 there were 5,299 dwelling units in it.[3]

## Contents

* 1 History
* 1.1 Ancient history
* 1.2 Medieval and early modern
* 1.3 20th century
* 1.4 21st century
* 2 Geography
* 2.1 Climate
* 3 Demographics
* 4 Economy
* 4.1 Transport
* 5 Education
* 6 Healthcare
* 7 Sports
* 8 Books relating to Farah
* 9 See also
* 10 Notes
* 11 References
* 12 External links

## History

Template:History of Afghanistan

### Ancient history

The Citadel at Farah is probably one of a series of fortresses constructed by Alexander the Great, the city being an intermediate stop between Alexandria Arachosia (modern Kandahar) and Herat, the location of another of Alexander's fortresses.[5][6] The "Alexandria" prefix was added to the city's name when Alexander came in 330 BC.

Under the Parthian Empire, Farah fell under the satrapy of Aria, and was one of its key cities.[7] It is thought to be Phra, mentioned by Isidorus Characenus in the 1st century AD,[8][9] or Alexandria Prophthasia mentioned by Pliny the Elder, Stephanus of Byzantium (Stephanus also called it Phrada (Φράδα))[10] and the 4th century Peutinger Map.

In the 5th century AD Farah was one of the major strongholds on the eastern frontier of the Sassanid Empire.[11] It was of some strategic importance, commanding the approaches to India and Sistan from Herat.[9]

### Medieval and early modern

The region came under Muslim rule in 651 during the Muslim conquest of Persia. The region was historically controlled by the Tahirids followed by the Saffarids, Samanids, Ghaznavids, Ghurids, Khwarazmshahs, Ilkhanids, Kartids, Timurids, Khanate of Bukhara, and Safavids until the early-18th century when it became part of the Afghan Hotaki dynasty followed by the Durrani Empire.

Islam was introduced in the region during the 7th century and later the Saffarid dynasty took control of Farah. During the 10th century, Mahmud of Ghazni took possession of the city, followed by the Ghurids in the 12th century. Genghis Khan and his army passed through in the 13th century, and the city fell to the native Kartids who lost it to the Timurids. It was controlled by the Safavids until 1709, when they were defeated by the Hotaki Afghan forces of Mirwais Hotak. It became part of the Durrani Empire in the mid 18th century. Farah was seized by Sultan Jan, then ruler of Herat, but re-captured by Dost Mohammad Khan on 8 July 1862.[12]

### 20th century

At the start of the Soviet invasion in 1979, Farah was, along with Herat, Shindand, and Kandahar, occupied by the Soviet 357th and 66th Motorized Rifle Divisions.[13]

The Afghan mujahideen established themselves in the Farah area in 1979. They maintained a presence in the city until they were forced out in 1982, and established a stronghold at the nearby mountain Lor Koh, which they renamed Sharafat Koh ("Honor Mountain"). Primary among the Farah mujahideen groups was the Sharafat Kuh Front.[14]

Following the collapse of the Soviet-backed government of Mohammad Najibullah in 1992, Ismail Khan returned to power in Herat, and came to control Farah, as well as the other surrounding provinces of Ghor and Badghis, until Herat fell to the Taliban in 1995.[15]

### 21st century

The roads in Farah Province have seen massive improvement since May 2005. The education system has been greatly improved and a great number of illegal weapons have been collected and destroyed in the province by a Provincial Reconstruction Team. The United States built a base at Farah Airport, which also housed the Afghan National Security Forces.

On 7 May 2009, thousands of Afghan villagers shouting "Death to America" and "Death to the Government" protested in Farah over the May 4 Granai airstrike by US forces that killed 147 civilians. Clashes with police started when people from the three villages struck by US B1-bombers brought 15 newly discovered bodies in a truck to the house of the provincial governor. Four protesters were wounded when police opened fire. Going by the account of survivors, the air raid was not a brief attack by several aircraft acting on mistaken intelligence, but a sustained bombardment in which three villages were pounded to pieces.[16] An Afghan government investigation concluded on May 16, 2009 with the Afghan Defense Ministry announcing an official death toll of 140 villagers. A copy of the government's list of the names and ages of each of the 140 dead showed that 93 of those killed were children, and only 22 were adult men.[17]

Young girls from Farah singing at a school in 2012

On 20 November 2009 it was reported that a suicide bomber on a motorcycle detonated near a market in Farah Naz city, killing 17 people and wounding 29.[18] Mullah Hayatullah was the Taliban commander for Farah province and was reported to be known to run suicide training camps.[18] On 3 April 2013, the Taliban killed 34 civilians and 10 members of the security forces, using guns and bombs.

During late evening of 14 May 2018, Taliban fighters stormed the city from multiple directions.[19] By 15 May 2018, the Taliban, during their annual spring offensive, captured Farah from the Afghan government, with only the provincial governor's compound remaining under the control of Afghan forces.[20] However, by 16 May Afghan Armed Forces, along with elements of the US Armys 2–12th infantry regiment belonging to the 4th infantry division along with several interpreters backed by the United States Air Force recaptured the city, while fighting moved on to the outlying areas of it. National Directorate of Security headquarters have been razed during the fighting. Taliban fighters have claimed that they withdrew after achieving their objectives and capturing weapon and equipment stockpiles. On May 16, government security forces backed by US air support reasserted control over Farah after driving the Taliban out of the city center. The security forces then conducted a clearing operation. Abdul Basir Salangi, governor of Farah Province at the time, said that the clashes left at least 25 members of the government security forces and five civilians dead, and at least 300 Taliban fighters were also killed.[21]

On 28 May 2020, the Taliban killed seven policemen in Farah in an attack on a police post during which eight Taliban militants were also killed.[22] The attack was conducted just after the end of the three-day Eid ceasefire announced by the Taliban in the country, which lasted from 24 to 26 May 2020. During the 2021 Taliban offensive, Farah fell to the Taliban on or about 10 August 2021.[23][24]

## Geography

Farah is at 650 m (2,130 ft) above sea level, between the major cities of Kandahar and Herat. It has a land area of 29 km2 (11 sq mi).[2] The city has a very clear grid of roads distributed through the higher-density residential areas. However, barren land (35%) and vacant plots (25%) combine for 60% of the total land use.[3]

### Climate

Farah has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification: BWh). In winter there is more rainfall than in summer, and there is no almost rain from June to October. Snowfall has not been observed from 1960 to 1983.[25]

The average annual temperature in Farah is 20.7 °C (69.3 °F). About 95 mm (3.74 in) of precipitation falls annually, and February is the wettest month, receiving 22.8 mm (0.90 in) of rainfall on average. In August 2009, Farah recorded a temperature of 49.9 °C (121.8 °F), which is the highest temperature to have ever been recorded in Afghanistan.[26] July is the warmest month, with an average high of 42.6 °C (108.7 °F) and an average low of 25.2 °C (77.4 °F), while January is the coldest, with an average low of 0.9 °C (33.6 °F).

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## Demographics

According to Afghanistan's National Statistics and Information Authority, the Farah municipality has an estimated population of 141,091 people.[4] In 2015 the population was 109,000 people.[27] Pashtuns form the majority of the city's population, constituting 80%, with the Tajiks at 10% and the 10% remaining Balochis. The main languages spoken are Pashto and Dari.[28]

## Economy

The city is a major trading and farming center in this area.[citation needed]

### Transport

The Farah Airport is located next to the city and as of May 2014 had regularly scheduled flights to Herat.

There are secondary roads in different directions from the city. As of 2010, Farah had 30 km (19 mi) of paved roads, 136 km (85 mi) of gravel roads and 150 km (93 mi) of unpaved roads.[29] The major road is Route 515 which connects Farah to the Ring Road. Both roads were improved in 2009 with support from several ISAF countries.

## Education

There are a number of schools in Farah.[30] There are also a number of universities.

## Healthcare

There are a number of hospitals and health clinics in the city. The Farah City Hospital is one of the largest hospitals.[31]

## Sports

Cricket and football are the most popular sports in Afghanistan. Other sports that people of Farah enjoy are futsal and volleyball.[32][33]

## Books relating to Farah

Little has been written about Farah; some fleeting references can be found in works related to Afghanistan or works that focus on the Great Game Politics of the UK and the Russian Empire during the 19th century. However, 2011 saw the publication of Words in the Dust[34] by author Trent Reedy, who was one of the first American soldiers to enter Farah in 2004. His book, while fiction, is set in Farah City and the wider province. Also in 2021, Trent Reedy also published another book with a writer currently in Afghanistan named Jawad Arash. In the book Enduring Freedom, it was set in the province of Farah.

## See also

* List of cities in Afghanistan

## Notes

1. ↑ ps
2. ↑ prs

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Farah City Collects Nearly 97 Million Afghanis in First Half of Year". Bakhtar News Agency. 5 October 2025. https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/farah-city-collects-nearly-97-million-afghanis-in-first-half-of-year.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "State of Afghan Cities report 2015 (Volume-I English)". UN-Habitat. pp. 8, 129. https://unhabitat.org/soac2015.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "State of Afghan Cities report 2015 (Volume-II)". UN-Habitat. p. 22. https://unhabitat.org/soac2015_volume2.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2025-26". National Statistics and Information Authority. September 2025. p. 112. https://nsia.gov.af:8443/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/براورد-نفوس-کشور-سال-1404.pdf#page=135.
5. ↑ Caii Plinii secundi Naturalis historiae libri XXXVII interpretatione et notis illustravit Joannes Harduinus in usum Delphini Jean Hardouin, Pline l'Ancien, Hardouin page 698.
6. ↑ Ralph Griffiths, George Edward Griffiths The Monthly Review May 1749 – September 1803 Page 514
7. ↑ A manual of ancient history. Clarendon, 1880
8. ↑ William Woodthorpe Tarn "The Greeks in Bactria and India", 2010 p.14
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `EB1911`
10. ↑ Stephanus of Byzantium, Ethnica, Ph670.21
11. ↑ Balland, Daniel. "FARAÚH". in Ehsan Yarshater. Encyclopædia Iranica (Online ed.). United States: Columbia University. http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v9f3/v9f301.html. Retrieved 2 January 2008.
12. ↑ The Kingdom of Afghanistan: A Historical Sketch. By George P. Tate. Bennet, Coleman & Co, Bombay, 1911. p213-4
13. ↑ Robin D. S. Higham, Frederick W. Kagan. The military history of the Soviet Union. Palgrave Macmillan, 2002. ISBN 0-312-29398-4, ISBN 978-0-312-29398-7
14. ↑ Ali Ahmad Jalali, Lester W. Grau. Afghan guerrilla warfare: in the words of the Mujahideen fighters. Zenith Imprint, 2002. ISBN 0-7603-1322-9, ISBN 978-0-7603-1322-0
15. ↑ Nojumi, Neamatollah; Mazurana, Dyan; Stites, Elizabeth (2008-10-17) (in en). After the Taliban: Life and Security in Rural Afghanistan. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7425-5726-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=9my2xd_uazkC&dq=farah+taliban&pg=PA17.
16. ↑ "Afghans riot over air-strike atrocity" (in en). 2009-05-07. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/afghans-riot-over-airstrike-atrocity-1681070.html.
17. ↑ U.S. strikes killed 140 villagers: Afghan probe
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Roggio, Bill. "Suicide Bomber strikes in Western Afghanistan." 20 November 2009. Long War Journal. Accessed at: http:.net//www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2009/11/suicide_bomber_strik_3.php
19. ↑ Karimi, Storay. "Taliban battle into west Afghan city in new crisis for government" (in en-US). U.S.. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-taliban/taliban-battle-into-west-afghan-city-in-new-crisis-for-government-idUSKCN1IG0KY.
20. ↑ Sukhanyar, Jawad; Nordland, Rod (2018-05-15). "Taliban Claim They’ve Taken Control of Western Afghan City, Farah" (in en-US). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/15/world/asia/afghanistan-taliban-farah-.html.
21. ↑ "Afghan officials say Taliban removed from western city" (in en). https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/5/16/taliban-abandons-effort-to-capture-farah-city.
22. ↑ "14 Afghan forces killed in 'Taliban attacks' after ceasefire ends". May 28, 2020. https://today.rtl.lu/news/world/a/1525540.html.
23. ↑ "Taliban seizes eighth Afghan provincial capital in five days". Al Jazeera English. 10 August 2021. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/10/taliban-seizes-farah-seventh-provincial-afghan-capital-in-five-days.
24. ↑ "Taliban flashpoints across Afghanistan". Ariana News. August 12, 2021. https://www.ariananews.af/taliban-flashpoints-across-afghanistan/.
25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "World Meteorological Organization Climate Normals for 1961–1990: Farah" (TXT). NOAA. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1961-1990/RA-II/AH/40974.TXT. "WMO number: 40974"
26. ↑ Afghanistan Constitution and Citizenship Law Handboook – Strategic Information and Basic Laws. Int'l Business Publications. 2013. p. 48. ISBN 978-1-4387-7835-8. https://books.google.com/books?id=FVGaAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA48.
27. ↑ "State of Afghan Cities report 2015 (Volume-I English)". United Nations Human Settlements Programme. p. 12. https://unhabitat.org/soac2015.
28. ↑ "Farah – Program for Culture and Conflict Studies – Naval Postgraduate School". https://my.nps.edu/web/ccs/farah.
29. ↑ National Area-Based Development Programme, Farah Provincial Profile,"Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development National Area Based Development Program". http://www.mrrd-nabdp.org/attachments/article/232/Farah Provincial Profile.pdf.
30. ↑ "Closed due to past war, 26 schools reopen in Farah". Pajhwok Afghan News. 12 September 2023. https://pajhwok.com/2023/09/12/closed-due-to-past-war-26-schools-reopen-in-farah/.
31. ↑ "Public Health Ministry Provides Free Eye Treatment to 400 Patients in Farah". TOLOnews. 30 August 2024. https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-190474.
32. ↑ "21 sports grounds established in Farah in 2 years". OMID Radio. 29 April 2025. https://pajhwok.com/2025/04/29/21-sports-grounds-established-in-farah-in-2-years/.
33. ↑ "Six futsal grounds inaugurated in Farah". OMID Radio. February 8, 2025. https://omidradio.com/en/2025/02/08/six-futsal-grounds-inaugurated-in-farah/.
34. ↑ Trent Reedy, Words in the Dust, Arthur A. Levine 2011

## External links

* Farah province by Drone on YouTube

Template:AfghanistanLargestCities Template:Districts of Farah Template:Farah Province

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