On a ridge south of Kandahar, the Shrine of Baba Wali sits above the Arghandab River valley — one of the most fertile agricultural areas in Afghanistan, known for its pomegranate orchards, grape vines, and fruit groves. The shrine is a local pilgrimage site, but the main draw for visitors is the view: the valley stretches out below in a band of green cutting through the surrounding desert, remarkable in its contrast.
The drive or walk up to the shrine takes you through countryside that gives a sense of why Kandahar has historically been agriculturally wealthy even in the middle of an arid plain. The Arghandab valley has been fought over repeatedly precisely because it is so productive.