Zadian

Zadian زادیان
Zadian Minaret
Zadian Location in Afghanistan
Coordinates: 37°1′29″N 66°56′37″E
Country	Afghanistan
Province	Balkh Province
Time zone	UTC+04:30
• Summer (DST)	Afghanistan Time

Zadian (Pashto/Persian: زادیان) is a village in Dawlatabad District, Balkh Province in northern Afghanistan.[1]

History

The Zadian Minaret (named after the village) was built by the Seljuk dynasty, during the 12th century. According to the Archaeological Gazetteer of Afghanistan, the minaret was built in 1108–09.[2][3] However, some archaeological studies suggest that the date of the construction of the minaret is approximately around the year 760.[4] As the minaret is climbable, local citizens have scaled the tower and some have fallen to their deaths in attempts.[2] Near the minaret is the Shrine of Hazrat Saleh, which is an Islamic pilgrim site.[2]

In the 12th century, the village was missed by Genghis Khan and the invading Mongols.[5]

Archaeology has taken place in the village, including works by the French Archaeological Delegation in Afghanistan (DAFA).

Gallery

• 
  School in Zadian
• 
  Skyline of Zadian in 1976
• 
  View from the minaret in 1976
• 
  Skyline of Zadian
• 
  Zadian village

References

1. "NGA GeoName Database". National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 2008-06-08. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
2. "History in Stone". Washington Examiner. 2009-03-23. Retrieved 2020-03-14.
3. "Rationale of the study". european-science.com. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
4. "Mazar-e-Sharif Tour". Afghanistan Travel Guide. 2014-09-15. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
5. "Silk Road jewel reveals its treasures". BBC News. 2013-10-20. Retrieved 2020-03-14.