Paghman پغمان | |
|---|---|
Town | |
   Clockwise from top:Paghman Hill Castle in 2014; a monument;Taq-e Zafar | |
 Location in Kabul Province | |
| Country |  Afghanistan |
| Province | Kabul |
| District | Paghman |
| Area | |
• Total | 600 km2 (230 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 2,307 m (7,569 ft) |
| Population (2015)[1] | |
• Total | 143,000 |
| • Density | 240/km2 (620/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+04:30 (AFT) |
Paghman (Pashto[a];Dari[b]:پغمان) is a town in the hills nearAfghanistan's capital ofKabul. It is the seat of thePaghman District (in the western part ofKabul Province) which has a population of about 120,000 (2002 officialUNHCR est.), mainlyPashtuns andTajiks.[1] The gardens of Paghman are a major tourist attraction, and the reason for the city being known as the garden capital of Afghanistan. The neighboring town ofQargha is to the southeast, which can be reached by several roads.
After KingAmanullah Khan and QueenSoraya Tarzi's return from Europe in 1928, Amanullah brought in foreign experts to redesign Kabul. At that time, at the entrance of Paghman, they created aEuropean-style monumental gate similar to but smaller than theArc de Triomphe inParis, France, which was similarly called theTaq-e Zafar (Persian:طاق ظفرArch of Victory). Originally a small village at the bottom of theHindu Kush, Paghman turned into a holiday retreat with villas and chalets as well as the summer capital. Its wide avenues containedfir,poplar andnut trees which flew past the arch, villas and a golf course. It was a popular place for the wealthy and thearistocrats to visit.[2]
The new royal gardens were opened to the public under the proviso—as a matter of reform—that western dress was adopted there, as in the royal residential areas of nearby Kabul. On September 1, 1928, King Amanullah convoked theLoya Jirga to Paghman to the puzzlement of many delegates, who found themselves at odds with the dress-code. On September 7, 1928, the Hazrat of Shor Bazaar—an influential political figure in Kabul—presented the king with a petition signed by some 400 religious leaders opposing many of Amanullah's reforms. This action led to the arrest of the Hazrat, the execution of some of his followers and finally therebellion of 1929 led by Ameer Habibullah Kalakani, that overthrew the king.[3]
The gardens eventually became a popular place for local and foreign tourists. Wealthy Kabulites ownedsummer homes there who employed servants and maids.[4]
During theSoviet–Afghan War in the 1980s, Paghman was a major battleground and suffered from bombardment from both the Soviet-backed government and themujahideen rebels. Most buildings were destroyed and residents had fled. Little remained of the prosperous Gardens, save for the remains of the Arc de Triomphe style arch, which has had its top blown off.[5][6]
Following the formation of theKarzai administration, the Arch was reconstructed and was completed by May 2005. Other damaged parts of the former Gardens were also rebuilt. It once again became a popular touristic site, and is popular with residents of Kabul. There was further development in the 2010s.
In 2012, 1,000 families in the Paghman district received electricity. The power was distributed to families in the Pracha village of Pashaee valley after the installation of three 1,000 kilovolttransformers. The electricity was supplied to people from the Mahipar Dam in theSurobi district at the cost of 35 million AFN (US$622,443).
In 2014, a newly built palace, thePaghman Hill Castle, was opened to the public. The palace's surroundings also consists of thousands of newly planted trees as well as aBuzkashi field, a waterfall and other attractions. The palace's interior is decorated with traditional handmadeAfghan carpets and other traditional material. It was planned to be used for major festivals.[7]
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The Paghman area is greener compared to many other parts of the region, and also has fruit trees. It is located at the foot of theHindu Kush mountain range. TheAfghanodon salamander isendemic to Paghman.
TheKabul River, the only large river in theKabul province, is fed by springs and snow-melt runoffs from Paghman. There is also acanal system, in need of repair, which extends from Paghman to Tapa.
There are several villages in the district, including Khaldari, Bektoot, Adam Khel Kala, Hatam Kala, Seeno Kala, Mullah Khel Kala, Muhabbat Khan Kala, Lachi Khel Kala, and Pajakk Tappa.
Paghman has ahumid continental climate (Köppen climate classificationDsb). The average temperature for the year in Paghman is 9.1 °C (48.4 °F). The warmest month on average, is July with an average temperature of 21.0 °C (69.8 °F). The coolest month on average is January, with an average temperature of −5.3 °C (22.5 °F).
| Climate data for Paghman, Kabul | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −5.3 (22.5) | −5.3 (22.5) | 4.9 (40.8) | 10.7 (51.3) | 12.2 (54.0) | 19.5 (67.1) | 21.0 (69.8) | 20.2 (68.4) | 17.4 (63.3) | 10.1 (50.2) | 4.8 (40.6) | −1.6 (29.1) | 9.1 (48.3) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 44 (1.7) | 57 (2.2) | 130 (5.1) | 89 (3.5) | 30 (1.2) | 0 (0) | 11 (0.4) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 18 (0.7) | 43 (1.7) | 52 (2.0) | 474 (18.5) |
| Source: Levoyageur[8] | |||||||||||||
Agriculture, labour work,animal husbandry and employment inKabul are the major sources of income.
The locality was traditionally the family seat of the Paghman saadat most noted for its famous descendantIdries Shah.[9]
Prominent Paghman natives include some leaders ofLoya Jirgas, tribal chiefs, a president, and one king.
Alice Springs,Australia, since January 2005 after joiningSister Cities International.[11]
ETHNIC COMPOSITION: About 70%Pashtun and 30%Tajiks
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Media related toPaghman at Wikimedia Commons
34°35′N68°57′E / 34.583°N 68.950°E /34.583; 68.950
