Castle · Herat, Afghanistan
Herat Citadel
The Citadel of Herat, locally known as Arg-e Herat, or Qala Ikhtiaruddin, is a fort located in Herat, Afghanistan. Built 330 BC.
Photo: Todd Huffman from Phoenix, AZ via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Herat, Afghanistan |
|---|---|
| Type | Castle |
| Built | 330 BC |
| Coordinates | 34.3458° N, 62.1886° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Herat Citadel is known for
The Citadel of Herat, locally known as Arg-e Herat, or Qala Ikhtiaruddin, is a fort located in Herat, Afghanistan.
About Herat Citadel
The Citadel of Herat, locally known as Arg-e Herat, or Qala Ikhtiaruddin, is a fort located in Herat, Afghanistan. The citadel dates back to 330 BC, when Alexander the Great and his army arrived in Afghanistan after the Battle of Gaugamela.
History
The citadel dates back to 330 BC, when Alexander the Great and his army arrived to Afghanistan after the Battle of Gaugamela. Many empires have used the fort as their headquarters over the last 2,000 years, during which it was destroyed and rebuilt many times. From decades of wars and neglect, the citadel began to crumble but in recent years several international organizations decided to completely rebuild it. The National Museum of Herat is also housed inside the citadel, while the Afghan Ministry of Information and Culture was the caretaker of the premises.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Herat |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Herat Airport (HEA) |
| Distance from the airport | 9.4 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Herat - Khwaja Abdullah Ansari International Airport (HEA) · Guzara, Afghanistan · 9.7 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Afghanistan
More castles
Frequently asked questions
What is Herat Citadel?
The Citadel of Herat, locally known as Arg-e Herat, or Qala Ikhtiaruddin, is a fort located in Herat, Afghanistan.
Where is Herat Citadel located?
Herat Citadel is in Herat, Afghanistan. Its coordinates are 34.3458° N, 62.1886° E.
How do I get to Herat Citadel?
The nearest town is Herat, and the nearest airport is Herat Airport (HEA), about 9.4 miles away (straight line).
When was Herat Citadel built?
Herat Citadel was built 330 BC.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herat_Citadel — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10859317 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.