Herat (English spelling)

Japanese: ヘラート（英語表記）Herāt

The capital of Herat Province in the northwestern tip of Afghanistan. It is located at an altitude of 922m at the southern foot of the Sefidkuh Mountains, overlooking the Harirud River. It is located in a fertile irrigated agricultural area and one of the most densely populated areas. It is the economic center of northwestern Afghanistan, with arterial roads connecting it to the two major cities of Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif, and a highway network connecting it to surrounding cities. The city has wide roads and a large bazaar. It has light industries such as cotton yarn, textiles, and flour milling, and trade in Karakul sheep furs is thriving. It has been important since ancient times as the only entrance to the Hindu Kush route from the Black Sea to India and Burma, and its name appears in Zoroaster's scriptures, the Avesta. Alexander the Great built "Aryan Alexandria" during his Indian campaign. It was ruled by the Parthian (Sabha) Empire in the 2nd century BC, the Sassanid Empire in the 3rd century, and the Ghaznid Empire in the 10th century, but was completely destroyed by Genghis Khan's army in 1221 and its inhabitants massacred. In the 15th century, it was the capital of the Timurid Empire and became an important center of Islamic culture. It was ruled by the Safavid Empire from 1510, but in 1716 the inhabitants took up arms and liberated the city, and its affiliation to Afghanistan was confirmed by the Treaty of Paris (1857). The city has a 15th century mosque, a minaret decorated with colored tiles, and the remains of past cities remain in the area. There is an airport and a military base nearby. The inhabitants are mainly Tajiks, Turkmens, and Uzbeks. Population: 177,300 (1988 estimate).

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

アフガニスタン北西端部，ヘラート州の州都。セフィードクー山脈の南麓，標高 922mにあり，ハリルード川にのぞむ。肥沃な灌漑農業地帯で，有数の人口稠密地に位置し，幹線道路がカンダハール，マザーレシャリーフ両大都市と結ばれ，周辺諸都市ともハイウェー網で連絡するアフガニスタン北西部の経済的中心地である。市街の道路は広く，バザールは大きい。綿糸，織物，製粉などの軽工業があり，カラクル羊の毛皮の取引が盛んである。黒海方面からインド，ビルマにいたる唯一のヒンドゥークシ越え交通路の入口として，古くから重視され，ゾロアスターの経典『アベスタ』に名がみえる。アレクサンドロス大王がインド遠征中に「アーリアのアレクサンドリア」を建設。前2世紀にパルティア (安息) 国，3世紀にはササン朝，10世紀にガズニー朝などに次々と支配されたが，1221年チンギス・ハン軍に完全に破壊され，住民は虐殺された。 15世紀にチムール朝の首都がおかれ，イスラム文化の重要な中心地となった。 1510年からサファビー朝の支配を受けたが，1716年住民は武器を取って町を解放し，パリ条約 (1857) でアフガニスタンへの帰属が確定。 15世紀の大モスク，色タイルで飾られたミナレットなどがあり，一帯には歴代の都市跡が残る。付近に空港と軍事基地がある。住民は主としてタジク人，トルクメン人，ウズベク人。人口 17万 7300 (1988推計) 。

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