Balkh بلخ

Balkh (بلخ) is an ancient city in northern Afghanistan located about 20 km to the northwest of the provincial capital, Mazar-e Sharif. It is about 365 m (1,198 ft) meter above sea level. Balkh is one of the oldest cities in the world, having been established as early as 2,000-1,500 BC. Balkh has been known since the time of Marco Polo, who described it as a noble and great city. The city is a center of Zoroastrianism, the religion established by the prophet Zoroaster, formerly one of the world's largest religions.

The city of Balkh is believed to have become the center of the Bactrian Empire long before the arrival of Alexander the Great. Through its long history, it has been conquered and destroyed a number of times. Today the city is of interest to those who appreciate its history, as it has a number of ancient sites and fortifications.

The 15th century Green Mosque of Balkh, Afghanistan

What are the places of interest in Balkh?

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Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.

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