Citadel of Herat
The Citadel of Herat, locally known as Qala Ikhtyaruddin, is a magnificent ancient stone and brick fortress standing atop an artificial mound in the heart of Herat's Old City. Tracing its origins to 330 BC when Alexander the Great founded the fortress during his eastern conquest against the Persian Empire, the citadel has been destroyed and rebuilt by successive empires across 2,300 years of turbulent Silk Road history. Site of devastating sieges by Genghis Khan and Timur (Tamerlane), as well as 19th-century Anglo-Persian wars, the citadel is considered one of Afghanistan's premier historical monuments. Visitors, museum guards, and local residents report eerie supernatural phenomena within its restored towers and deep brick dungeons, including ghostly apparitions of ancient Macedonian warriors, soft lute music echoing from Timurid royal chambers, disembodied whispers in dark passageways, and sudden cold spots.