Kabul, BABUR GARDENS, Afghanistan

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On Sarak-e-Chilsitun road. Open every day 07.00--19.00. Entrance two Afghanis. Mark our words! These 6 hectares of walled gardens are going to be one of the most beautiful spots in the city. After more than two decades of conflict, which saw the rival factions fire their rockets either over or into this former imperial park, the place was little more than a wasteland. However, today more than twenty gardeners toil away at the site, landscaping and planting. Already new shrubs and the layout for a rose garden are visible. Trees and flowerbeds are also being planted. The gardens were built in the mid-16th century at the behest of the first Mogul emperor, Zahir-ed-Din Mohammad Babur Shah and remain one of the few cultural landscapes in Afghanistan to retain their original shape. The entrance to the gardens is from the Sarak-e-Chilsitun main road that runs in front of the mountain. The gardens start out as a gentle climb up the mountainside. The last stretch is steeper, but it is worth going all the way up. Tucked away on the final terrace at the top is the tomb of the former king himself, Babur Shah. His wife is buried separately, but her tombstone is possibly even more beautifully carved than that of her husband. Just below them is a wonderful little marble mosque built by BaburÂ’s successor, Shah Jahan, also dating from mid-1600. A restaurant is also being built towards the top end of the gardens with a breath-taking view over Kabul below and the mountains beyond. Though currently under construction the garden director is confident that it will be finished for the summer of 2003. Despite their poor state, the gardens serve as a much-needed respite to the inhabitants of Kabul who come on Fridays (the Muslim equivalent of the Christian Sunday) to picnic and relax in the relative calm. If you get a chance, make sure you put your head around the door of the large greenhouse in the far left-hand corner of the gardens as you look up the mountain. It is locked, so you will need to find the head gardener, but once inside you are in for a treat. It is packed with colourful flowers and shrubs awaiting transplantation. One look in here and you know it is only a matter of time before Babur is returned to its former glory. More on www.kabulguide.net

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