KnowraKabulKabulKabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan, situated in a high valley east of the central Afghan mountains.BriefConnectBagram: An ancient city north of Kabul, known historically as Kapisa and later as a Kushan center. Its archaeological remains illuminate the wider region’s ancient urban networks.Hindu Kush: A major mountain range extending across Afghanistan and adjoining parts of Central and South Asia. The mountains frame Kabul’s high valley and constrain regional movement.Government of Afghanistan: The national institutions that govern Afghanistan, including its executive, legislative, and judicial bodies. Kabul hosts the country’s central government institutions.Soviet–Afghan War: The 1979–1989 conflict between Soviet forces and the Afghan government on one side and Afghan mujahideen groups on the other. The war transformed Kabul’s politics and drove major displacement.Kabul Shahi: A series of Hindu and Buddhist dynasties that ruled parts of Kabul and the surrounding region before the eleventh century. These rulers shaped Kabul before its incorporation into Islamic empires.Kabul Basin: The high-elevation basin in eastern Afghanistan that contains Kabul and surrounding settlements. Its enclosed terrain channels the city’s expansion along the valley floor.Kabul International Airport: The main international airport serving Kabul and Afghanistan’s capital region. It connects the capital to domestic destinations and international routes.Afghan Civil War: A series of conflicts among Afghan factions following the Soviet withdrawal, especially the fighting of 1992–1996. Factional battles devastated large parts of Kabul in the 1990s.Babur: The founder of the Mughal Empire, who made Kabul an important base and was buried there. Babur’s attachment to Kabul left a lasting Mughal imprint on the city.Kabul River: A river that flows through Kabul and eastward into Pakistan, where it joins the Indus. The river corridor shaped settlement and remains central to water management.Show all 22Linked from 9 pagesAfghanistanBroader topic: National institutions are concentrated in Kabul, far from many peripheral regions.Khaled HosseiniRelated: Hosseini was born in Kabul, a setting central to several of his novels.Mazar-i-SharifCompared with: Kabul is the national political center, unlike Mazar-i-Sharif’s northern provincial role.Ahmad ZahirBroader topic: Zahir was born and raised in Kabul, where modern Afghan music was taking shape.Tang-e GharuRelated: Kabul lies west of the gorge and is the highway’s principal western endpoint.Turk ShahisBroader topic: Kabul was the dynasty’s main seat of power.Show all 9