ABSTRACT
Description: An ancient oasis city of Central Asia, Herāt's possession has been much disputed between Persians, Turks, and Afghans. Its period of greatest historical significance was under the Timurid Dynasty, when from 1405 to 1506 it was the capital of a powerful state and the center of a brilliant Islamic cultural flowering. Situated north of the main Afghan divide but at its lowest point, Herat communicates easily with most of the traditional centers of culture in the region-Kandahār, Khorāsān, Balkh, Mary, Neyshābūr, and Transoxiana. In the nineteenth century, Herat was often described as the key to India. Although its monuments have suffered considerably over time, Herat remains a major historical site.
