OMAR Landmine Museum
A great reminder of where you are and the everyday hardships so many Afghanis face. With displays of defused landmines, primarily laid by firstly the Soviets and then the Americans, as well as improvised explosive devices and other weapons of death and destruction. The OMAR landmine museum also has a positive story to tell as they show you the education programs they run to educate young village kids not to pick up or play with unknown items they might find, teaching local Afghanis how to deal with uncovered unexploded ordinances, as well as the amazing landmine clearing they perform every day. It’s a confronting little museum, but an important one to visit.
Kabul Museum
Also known as the National Museum of Afghanistan, it was once one of the great museums of the world with over 100,000 items dating back thousands of years, but the Kabul Museum is now a shell of itself. The museum was badly destroyed and looted during the civil war of the 90s and has never really recovered. However, there are some amazing pieces still remaining as well as plenty of information on the history of this unique country. A lot of effort has been made in recent years to recover lost items, however it’s uncertain what the future now holds given the current circumstances.
Bibi Mahru Hill
High above the city of Kabul is Bibi Mahru Hill, and it also happens to be right in the centre of the city. Popular for Kabul locals to go and picnic atop, smoke a shisha and drink some tea, the views of the city are phenomenal. Watch the local children play games, while the elderly walk around talking. There are food vendors and drink stalls. From here you can see the airport, the former ring of steel and the diplomatic compound. There are even great views into the former US embassy! From most parts of Kabul you’ll see the giant flagpole on top and many will remember this place for its infamous swimming pool.
Sakhi Shrine
It is believed that this is where the cloak of the Prophet Mohammed was taken when it was visited by Ali, the son-in-law of the cousin of Mohammed, who also happened to be the 4 th Caliph of Islam. The Shrine is covered in blue and turquois tiles, in a traditional Persian style. The Sakhi Shrine not only is one of the most beautiful and most important in Afghanistan, but it also has stunning views over the suburbs of Kabul. Situated at the base of the famous Television Hill, from here you also get a great look at the hillside houses, famous for their multicoloured facades.
Sakhi Shrine is predominately visited by Shia Muslims so is often a target for attacks, so you need to be careful not to go here when there are big events or on Fridays.
Babur Garden
Popular with locals, as soon as you arrive, you’ll see why. An oasis of green in the middle of a chaotic city. All of a sudden, you’re taken away from the horns and exhaust pipes of the city traffic into a relaxing simple place. Of course, there is an important history here to be told as well, with Babur, the first great Mughal emperor being buried here, but that in itself isn’t the main reason why this is a special place. Until the Taliban took over it was a very popular destination for young lovers to go on dates, at the same time as being great for family picnics and the usual young guys hanging out acting cool and old guys sitting around chatting, smoking cigarettes, and playing games.
British Cemetery
This is a strange one on the list. Normally we wouldn’t recommend going to a cemetery and although we do get the occasional history buff or even military aficionado, it’s not the kind of place that would naturally seem interesting to most people. However, the British Cemetery in Kabul tells some fascinating stories. Despite the name, it’s not just Brits or even Commonwealth citizens that are buried there. You might also assume that it’s a military cemetery, the type taken care of by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, but that’s not true either. It tells the story of the history of tourism to Afghanistan, as well as the bloody conflicts through its recent history.
Originally built for British soldiers killed during the second Anglo-Afghan war, it was one of the few places that non-Muslims could be buried, and as such a whole range of other nationalities are also there, including tourists and expats. It is also one of the few places of this type to survive the first period of Taliban rule.
Chicken Street
Anyone coming to Kabul needs to go to Chicken Street, the main shopping street in town, famous for their antique and carpet stores. You don’t even need to like shopping to be enthralled by this place. Chicken Street originally became famous during the 60s and 70s as it was the main port of call on the old Hippie Trail. The guest houses the overlanders would stay at, as well as the hash and opium dens they would frequent were all located on or around this famous stretch of road. The hippies have long gone, however it’s still a must for any modern-day visitor to Kabul.
Despite the name you won’t find chickens for sale on Chicken Street, they are instead sold on Flower Street nearby, where you can also buy flowers.
Shashi du Shamshira Mosque
Of course, you’re going to see a lot of mosques in Afghanistan, so you need to be careful which ones you add to your list. This has to be up there though due to its very different architectural style. Unlike any other mosque in the world, this is designed in a European Renaissance style. Shah person as many Royals of the time departed on a grand tour of Europe and was extremely impressed by their buildings and royal palaces, so upon returning to Afghanistan he instructed that the Shashi du Shamshira Mosque be constructed in a European style. Nowhere else in the world will you see a mosque that looks like this.
