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Line 61: == Name == There is speculation about the origin of the name ''"Kandahar"''. It is believed that ''Kandahar'' bears [[Alexander the Great|Alexander's]] name from the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] and Persian rendering of "Alexander", which derives from '''Iskandariya''' for [[Alexandria of the Arachosians|Alexandria]].<ref name=Alexander>Alexander the Great: his towns - ''Alexandria in Arachosia''...[http://www.livius.org/aj-al/alexandria/alexandria_arachosia.html Link]</ref> A temple to the deified Alexander as well as an inscription in [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] and [[Aramaic]] by the emperor [[Ashoka]], who lived a few decades later, have been discovered in the old citadel.<ref>Ashoka's Rock Edicts...[http://www.livius.org/a/pakistan/shahbazgarhi/shahbazgarhi2.html Link]</ref> Some{{fact}} believe that ''"Kandahar"'' possibly derives its name from [[Gandhara]]{{fact}}, an [[Ancient India|ancient Indian]] kingdom along the modern [[Kashmir]] and Afghanistan border<ref>Gandara...[http://www.livius.org/ga-gh/gandara/gandara.html Link]</ref> == History == Line 94: In the 1960s, [[Kandahar International Airport]] was built, with the help of the [[United States Agency for International Development]], 10 miles (16 kilometers) south-east of the city. It was used by the [[Soviets|Red Army]] during their ten-year occupation of the country. As of [[2001]], the airport is used by the [[US]] and [[NATO]] forces as a military base. During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan ([[1979]]-[[1989]]), Kandahar was under Soviet command and witnessed heavy fighting. Soviet troops surrounded the city, and subjected it to [[Image:NATO Jeeps Patrolling the Streets of Kanahar City.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[NATO]] Jeeps patrolling the streets of ''Kandahar City'' in [[2005]].]] Line 134: ==Places of interest== The most important historical monument in Kandahar is the mausoleum of Ahmad Shah Durrani, fondly known as ''Ahmad Shah Baba'' (Father of Afghanistan) who ruled an [[Durrani Empire|empire]] from Kandahar. The shrine of the [[Muslim]] The city of Kandahar was laid out by Ahmad Shah with amazing regularity. The four principal bazaar streets meet in the center of the city at the ''Char Suq'', a square once covered with a lofty dome where public proclamations were made. The Mosque of The charming village of ''Sher Surkh'' is located southeast of the city, about a mile south of ''Jadi Haji Jamal'', in the suburbs of the old city of Nadirabad. Jadi Haji Jamal continues to ''Zakud'', the homelands and mausoleum of the 18th century [[Barakzai]] chief who stepped down in favor of Ahmad Khan, later Ahmad Shah Durrani, in 1747. His son, Payenda Khan, who was murdered by Ahmad Shah’s grandson, is also buried here. Payenda Khan was the father of Amir Dost Mohammad who was destined to take the throne from Ahmad Shah’s grandsons and establish the dynasty which ruled at Kabul until 1973. Line 176: *'''Mosques and Shrines''' **Friday Mosque **Jumi Wraishtan Mubārak (displaying a [[Hair|hair]] piece of the Muslim **Shrine of Baba Wali | |||