Author: Mariam Habibi

I recently went to Samangan Province. When we were on our way I met a kind man, he was from Panjshir. He was a very friendly man, he told us many of his life stories, including stories about the war in Panjshir. At 2 o’clock we reached Istalif. The name of the man was Abdulrahman. Abdulrahman had a big garden at Istalif. He gave us blackberries then we bid farewell to Abdulrahman. We left Istalif, drove through Parwan province, heading towards Samangan Province.

On the way I also visited old Balkh City. At night we arrived in Samangan. This was my first visit to Samangan. When we arrived, I didn’t know much about where the market or the shops could be located but the town was very small so I found out where the market was very soon. When I was about to buy some food, I realized that I forgot to bring my wallet. The salesclerk was a kind man, he gave me all the food without asking for any money. He told me that Afghan people are very hospitable. “So you must visit my garden and I will give you some peaches.” He had a small garden near his shop.

When I got back to my room at hotel Shinwari (1200 Afghani per night), I suggested to my friends to learn more about the Samangan people and to pay the man a visit.

On the next day, we visited Takht-i Rostam (Throne of Rostam) in the Aibak region. Takht-i Rostam is one of 10 amazing places that visitors do not want to miss, and when locals have friends staying with them, this is the site where they want to take them. However, the situation is not good. Often they have to put their friends off until the next time because ISIS is active in the region.

From Hotel Shinwari, together with my driver Sakhi, friends, and my brother, we drove around Samangan, and when we came near the Takht-i Rostam there was a lot of hustle and bustle, busy street markets, in fact it reminded me a bit of Dhaka in Bangladesh. For some reason, there were these three wheeled vehicles, called Zarang, everywhere. They cost only 5-10 Afghani per ride.

Anyway, we needed to get tickets for Takht-i Rostam. They are 5,- USD (350 Afghani) per person. You can pay in either Afghani or in Dollars and then you are issued with a ticket. When I returned, my guide Maseh, his friend Rajab, my brother and our taxi driver did not need to buy a ticket. I took care of it. It’s also nice that tickets are free for locals. Nearby, there was a big restaurant which was famous for its Uzbek pulao and bread. I also learned that the town’s hospital serves the entire province. At night the weather was very hot so we slept in the yard of the restaurant Maahi, and luckily there were no mosquitoes.

I encourage you to take the trip to Samangan. The province has beautiful landscapes and I still remember the beautiful views.