Balkh

Also known as Umm Al-Belaad, Mother of All Cities, Umm al-Bilad, Bactra, Baktra, Balch

Balkh is a city in northern Afghanistan, with an estimated population of 148,972 people. It is within the jurisdiction of Balkh District and its current mayor is Maulvi Mohammad Qasim Fazal Subhan. Located approximately to the northwest of Mazar-i-Sharif and approximately to the south of the Amu Darya or the Afghanistan–Uzbekistan border, it is the second largest city of Balkh Province.

AI overview

Balkh is a city in northern Afghanistan with a population of about 149,000 people, located south of the Afghanistan-Uzbekistan border and northwest of Mazar-i-Sharif. It is the second largest city in Balkh Province and is governed by Mayor Maulvi Mohammad Qasim Fazal Subhan.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Settlement.name: Balkh
Settlement.native_name_lang: prs
Settlement.other_name: Bactra
Settlement.settlement_type: City
Settlement.image_skyline: Green_Mosque,_Balkh.jpg
Settlement.imagesize: 240px
Settlement.image_caption: Ruins of the Green Mosque of Balkh, 2018
Settlement.pushpin_map: Afghanistan
Settlement.pushpin_relief: yes
Settlement.pushpin_label_position: bottom
Settlement.pushpin_map_caption: Location in Afghanistan
Settlement.subdivision_type: Country
Settlement.subdivision_type1: Province
Settlement.subdivision_name1: Balkh
Settlement.subdivision_type2: District
Settlement.subdivision_name2: Balkh
Settlement.government_type: Municipality
Settlement.leader_title: Mayor

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Population: 77000
Elevation: 365
Image: 15c green mosque.jpg

Show 1 more fact

Commons category: Balkh

Sources (3)

via Wikidata · CC0

~31 min read

Article

26 sections

Contents

Etymology
History
Ancient Bactrian religion
Zoroastrianism and Buddhism
Judaism
Arab conquests and Islamization
Iranic and Turkic dynasties
Mongol conquest and destruction
16th to 19th centuries
20th and 21st centuries
Archaeological sites
Ancient Buddhist
Medieval Islamic
Displays at the Balkh Museum
Demographics
Notable people
Poets
Scientists
Politicians
Monarchs
Religious figures
See also
Notes
References
Further reading
External links

Historically, the site of present-day Balkh was held in considerably high regard due to its religious and political significance in Ariana. A hub of Zoroastrianism and Buddhism, the ancient city was also known to the Persians as Zariaspa and to the Greeks as Bactra, giving its name to Bactria. As such, it was famously known as the capital of Bactria or Tokharistan. The Italian explorer and writer Marco Polo described Balkh as "a noble city and a great seat of learning" prior to the Mongol conquests. Most of the town now consists of ruined buildings, situated some from the right bank of the seasonally flowing Balkh River, at an elevation of about .