Architecture

The term "Afghanistan architecture" refers to architectural styles found inside the present nation's borders, which have been mostly unaltered since 1834. The boundaries of the area before this time changed with the swift advance of armies, with the land belonging to a wide range of empires over the previous two millennia. This region served as the connection between the three major cultural and geographic centers of Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and the Iranian plateau.

With influences ranging across time from Greek to Persian to Indian to Chinese to European in more recent centuries, Afghan history is as diverse as the country's architecture and architectural relics. A variety of historical religious influences are also discernible, with the majority of the evidence pointing to early Buddhist, Zoroastrian, and Islamic inspiration.

In recent battles, Afghanistan has lost a significant number of its historical sites. All around Afghanistan, ruins of architecture from various eras can be found. This location is rich in history and architectural value due to the presence of Buddhist stupas, Buddhist monasteries, and elaborate Islamic minarets, arches, and monuments. The Chel Zina (Forty Steps) and rock carvings created by Mughal ruler Babur at Kandahar, which also holds the prophet's cloak, are both over a thousand years old. The ruins of extravagant and opulent architecture can be found at Ghazni and Balkh. UNESCO has designated the well-known Minaret of Jam as a "heritage site."