Qala-e Bost, Lashkargah, Afghanistan

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Afghanistan is featured in The Long Road to Cullaville

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Chapter 16 · Boom boom Buddha / Epilogue

The grand finale of The Long Road to Cullaville – my visit to Afghanistan revealed a stunning country with a rich and troubled history and remarkably strong and resilient people, while serious danger was never far away.

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[Visited: April 2026]

Oh, I had seen the arch many times, on the 100 afghani notes. When I realized where it was located, that it was part of the ruins of an ancient city, and that I would be coming quite close, I decided to make a detour on the way from Herat to Kandahar. The drive from Herat takes longer than anticipated, even though we left the beautiful Western Afghanistan city early that morning and didn't make many stops on the way. I start calculating if we will even make it. When we cross the Helmand River, I see the contours of a fortress in the south, and assume that this is our destination. But before we can head there, we need to secure a permit, and find a Taliban escort. Travel in Afghanistan may have become safer, there is also more hassle involved.
The armed, and obviously bearded, Taliban guard easily fits into our car, which has collected some dust on the way east, and we finally drive towards Qala-e Bost. It is still an over ten kilometre drive through villages which look old themselves. The ruins I have seen from the bridge turn out to be of Lashkari Bazaar: an old fortress itself, founded more than a thousand years ago. While we are on our way, I anxiously watch the sun on its way down, and try to tell it to stop doing so, even for a little while. When we arrive, we jump out of the car, and after exchanging some pleasantries with surprised guards, we finally walk through the gate of the city that was founded some 3,000 years ago. I have to suppress a feeling of disappointment: the famous arch is no longer open: a supporting structure has been built under it.
We walk straight to it, 100 afghani bills in hand for comparison. The image on the money shows the ruined city visible through the arch, but this view no longer exists. We then learn that the massive arch, which probably was part of a mosque in its heyday, is fragile, and the structure prevents its collapse. Now that we have a closer look, we see the brickwork and turquoise tiles that decorate it. We walk around it, admiring it from all sides. Then, we head up the mound. After meeting a large group of Afghans, who want their picture taken with me, I walk up as fast as I can. I At the top, I find buildings which have been eaten away by time and erosion. I now also have unlimited views in all directions, and can easily see the boundaries of this once great city. It was already mentioned in ancient stories, and called Bestia, which over time developed into Bost. I now also see the dunes of the Registan desert in the distance. Men are praying on top of the mound: sunset is near. When I am back at the arch again, all that remains is the silhouette of the ruins with light clouds in the sky. It is time to drive to Kandahar.

Qala-e Bost, Afghanistan

Afghanistan is featured in The Long Road to Cullaville

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