MASJIDE JAM-E-A (JAMI) HERAT

The history of Herat has been one of repeated destruction and reconstruction. Conqueror after conqueror, from the time of Alexander the Great, has taken it, destroyed it, and then rebuilt it. In the 4th Century B. C. Alexander the Great built the fort which is still standing in the center of the city. From 1040 to 1175 the city was ruled by the Seljuks who defeated the Ghaznavids and destroyed the fortress. Herat was then captured by the Ghorids until the city fell under the control of the Khwarazm Empire. In 1221, Herat was taken by the Mongols and Tuli, the son of Genghis Khan, ruled for a time, but the citizens revolted and killed the Mongol garrison. Extremely angered, Genghis Khan rode upon the city with 80,000 troops and besieged it for six months, leaving only forty people living. In 1245 Herat was given to the Kart Maliks. Tamerlane destroyed Herat in 1381, however, his son, Shah Rukh, rebuilt it and started the cultural renaissance which made it the center of learning and culture. During the Timurid rule, the famous poet of Herat, Jami and the miniaturist, Behzad were born, Queen Gawhar Shad's Musalla was built and Gazerghah restored. For the second time the city flourished. In 1718 the Afghan clan, Hotaki, struggled for Herat's independence which continued until 1880, when finally the city become an integral par of Afghanistan.
Masjid Jam-e-A is a great Mosque, in the center of the city has been a place of worship since the time of Zoroaster, and rebuilt several times.

Note: Unfortunately, most of these historical sites were severely damaged by two decades of war and armed conflicts in Afghanistan.