Balkh lies in northern Afghanistan, close to Mazar-i-Sharif, and claims to be one of the oldest cities in the world. It is the legendary birthplace of the prophet Zoroaster. Alexander the Great founded a Greek colony here, and as Bactra it became the capital of the independent kingdom of Bactria. In the early centuries AD, Balkh was a prominent centre of Buddhism, renowned for its monasteries and stupas.
The Arabs arrived in the 8th century and the city became important in the Islamic world as the original home of the Barmakids. Under the Abbasid caliphate its fame as a centre of learning earned it the title "mother of cities." Genghis Khan sacked Balkh in 1221 and it lay in ruins until Timur rebuilt it in the early 16th century.
Today the old city is mostly in ruins, with fragments of walls and mosques visible among the fields. The most important surviving monument is the Shrine of Khwaja Abu Nasr Parsa — the Green Mosque — whose Timurid tilework still dominates the skyline. The Bala Hissar citadel mound and the great encircling walls give a sense of the ancient city's enormous extent. The No Gonbad Mosque, dating from the 9th century, is the oldest Islamic monument still standing in Afghanistan. Near the centre, the Shrine of Rabi'a Balkhi honours the first woman to write poetry in Persian, and remains an active place of pilgrimage. The new town, some distance away, is a small agricultural and commercial centre inhabited chiefly by Uzbeks. Given the security situation in Afghanistan, visitors should plan with great care and use experienced local guides.