| Sulaiman Mountains | |
|---|---|
| د كسې غرونه / کوه سليمان | |
 Satellite image of a part of the Sulaiman Range | |
| Highest point | |
| Coordinates | 30°30′N70°10′E / 30.500°N 70.167°E /30.500; 70.167 |
| Dimensions | |
| Area | 6,475 km2 (2,500 sq mi) |
| Geography | |
  Sulaiman Mountains Location Show map of Balochistan, Pakistan Sulaiman Mountains Sulaiman Mountains (Pakistan) Show map of Pakistan | |
| Location | Zabul,Kandahar andLoya Paktia,Afghanistan, northernBalochistan, andFATA,Pakistan |
| Parent range | Hindu Kush |
TheSulaiman Mountains, also known asKōh-e Sulaymān (Balochi:کوهِ سليمان; "Mountains ofProphetSolomon") or Da Kasē Ghrūna (Pashto:د كسې غرونه; "Mountains of Qaes/Kasi") are a north–south extension of the southernHindu Kush mountain system in easternAfghanistan and westernPakistan. They are also known as Aparanchal Range, or Western Mountains (Sanskrit: अपरा; romanised: Aparā; literally: "West"; आंचल; romanised: ānchal; literally: "mountains" or "mountainous region"), as they mark the westernmost boundary of the Indian Subcontinent. They rise to form the eastern edge of theIranian plateau.[1] They are located in theKandahar,Zabul andPaktia provinces of Afghanistan, and in Pakistan they extend over the northern part ofBalochistan andWaziristan as well asKurram ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwa. In southwesternPunjab, the mountains extend into the two districts ofDera Ghazi Khan andRajanpur, which are located west of theIndus River on the boundary with Balochistan. Bordering the mountains to the east are the plains of the Indus River valley, and to the north are the arid highlands of the Central Hindu Kush whose heights extend up to 3,383 metres (11,099 ft).[2] The total area on which this range spans around 6,475 sq. km (2,500 sq mi).[3] Together with theKirthar Mountains on the border between Balochistan andSindh, the Sulaiman Mountains form what is known as the Sulaiman-Kirthar geologic province.[4]
The most well-known peak of the Sulaimans is the twin-peakedTakht-e-Sulaiman or "Throne ofProphet Solomon" at 3,487 metres (11,440 ft),[5] located nearDarazinda inDera Ismail Khan Subdivision, close to the border with bothSouth Waziristan and theZhob District of neighboring Balochistan province. The highest peak, however, isZarghun Ghar at 3,578 metres (11,739 ft) nearQuetta, Pakistan. The next highest peak in Balochistan province is Khilafat Hill at 3,475 metres (11,401 ft), which is located in theZiarat District of Pakistan and is famous for theZiarat Juniper Forest, whereJuniperus macropoda trees grow.[6]
The eastern edge of the Sulaiman range runs 280 miles (450 km) from theGomal Pass in Pakistan'sKhyber Pakhtunkhwa province to near the city ofJacobabad inSindh province,[7] and further stretches into south-westPunjab.
In Afghanistan, the western edge of the range starts just beyond the northernLoya Paktia province where they meet theKoh-i-Baba range. South from there, they meet theSpin Ghar range northeast ofGardez inPaktia province, but towards west, the mountain range drops gradually inKandahar southwest intoHelmand and theSistan Basin.[citation needed]
The Sulaiman Range, and the high plateaus to the west of it, helps form a natural barrier against the humid winds that blow from theIndian Ocean, creating arid conditions across southern and central Afghanistan to the west and north. In contrast, the relatively flat and low-lyingIndusdelta is situated due east and south of the Sulaimans.
Rivers that drain the Sulaimans include theGomal River which flows eastward into theIndus River, and theDori River and other small tributaries of theArghandab River, which flow southwestward into theHelmand River.[citation needed]
The Sulaimans were formed as afold and thrust belt as theIndian Plate collided intoEurasian Plate beginning about 30 million years ago.[8] The Indian Plate's counter-clockwise rotation as it collided with the Eurasian Plate resulted in the Sulaiman's having some of the most complex tectonic structures in the world,[8] including "stacking" of thrust faults.[9] The complex fault-system is capable of producingdoublet earthquakes that jump to other faults - such as the1997 Harnai earthquake in which a magnitude 7.1 earthquake triggered a 6.8 earthquake 19 seconds later on a second fault 50 kilometres away.[10]
Areas in the southern part of the range include anImbricate fan of slices of rocks in close parallel,[8] bounded by faults on either side of each slice.[11] Along the Eastern edge of the Sulaimans is the Sulaiman Fold, an area within the Indian Plate consisting of sediment, alongside which runs theOrnach Nal-Ghazaband-Chaman Fault.[12]
One of the highest peaks of the Sulaimans, theTakht-i Sulaiman ("Throne of Solomon") at 3,382 metres (11,096 ft) high, was recorded byIbn Battuta as theKoh-i Sulaiman.[13]
In legend, it is associated with ProphetSolomon. According to the legend, Prophet Solomon climbed this mountain and looked out over the land ofSouth Asia, which was then covered with darkness, and so turned back without descending into this new frontier, and left only the mountain which is named after him (as told byIbn Battuta).[14]
According to another legend,Noah's Ark alighted on theTakht-i Sulaiman after theDeluge.
Another legend says thatQais Abdur Rashid, said to be the legendary ancestor of the Pashtun nation, is buried atopTakht-e-Sulaiman, and so it is also locally known asDa Kasī Ghar (د کسي غر, "Mount of Qais").
According to this legend, his descendants migrated west, north, and south from here. Some people visit the place and make animal sacrifices, usually a sheep or a goat, at the tomb of Qais to help feed the poor.[citation needed] Trips to the mountain is undertaken mostly in summer, since from late November until March the snowfall makes it difficult to climb.[15]
