Islām Qala (
Pashto
Pashto ( , ; , ) is an eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family, natively spoken in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan. It has official status in Afghanistan and the Pakistani province of Khyb ...
: اسلام کلا,
Dari: اسلام قلعه) is a
border town in the western
Herat province of
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
, near the
Afghanistan–Iran border. It is the official
port of entry by land from neighboring
Taybad in Iran. The
Dowqarun-Islam Qala border crossing is located about northwest of the town.
Islam Qala is administered as part of
Islam Qala District of Herat Province and is linked to the city of
Herat via the
Islam Qala-Herat Highway. The town plays an important role in the
economy of Afghanistan because a substantial volume of national trade passes through it.
Islam Qala is believed to have a population of about 16,408 residents. It has gradually expanded in the last two decades due to the establishment of various facilities. Among them is a refugees repatriation center in which large number of returnees are processed everyday by the
Ministry of Refugees and the
International Organization for Migration (IOM). The town has
Afghan Border Police and other
national security forces.
History
Islam Qala became a border town during the
Durrani Empire in the 19th century, after Afghanistan became a
sovereign state
A sovereign state is a State (polity), state that has the highest authority over a territory. It is commonly understood that Sovereignty#Sovereignty and independence, a sovereign state is independent. When referring to a specific polity, the ter ...
. Many armies, traders and travelers have passed through the town throughout history. The
Asian Highway 1 (AH1), which is part of the
Asian Highway Network from
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
in Japan to west of
Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
in Turkey, where it connects to the
European route E80 (E80) that reaches to
Lisbon
Lisbon ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 567,131, as of 2023, within its administrative limits and 3,028,000 within the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, metropolis, as of 2025. Lisbon is mainlan ...
, passes in Islam Qala.
On February 13, 2021, due to corruption and negligence, large number of trucks were burnt by a fire incident at a parking area in Islam Qala.
On July 9, 2021, the entire town fell to the Taliban forces without incident. Since then, it has been claimed that the corruption in the town has been eliminated and government revenue increased to over 8 billion
afghanis in less than a year.
Climate
With an influence from the local steppe climate, Islam Qala features a
cold semi-arid climate (''BSk'') under the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
. The average temperature in Islam Qala is 17.3 °C, while the annual precipitation averages 225 mm.
July is the hottest month of the year with an average temperature of 29.5 °C. The coldest month January has an average temperature of 5.5 °C.
See also
*
Demogan
*
Ghulam Khan
*
Hairatan
*
Sher Khan Bandar
*
Spin Boldak
*
Torghundi
*
Torkham
*
Zaranj
References
Additional images relating to Islam Qala
File:Qala1.JPG, Afghanistan's passport checkpoint at Islam Qala in 2015
File:Qala2.JPG, Entering Islam Qala from Taybad in Iran
External links
* (
Ariana Television, Oct. 25, 2023)
{{Authority control
Populated places in Herat Province
Afghanistan–Iran border crossings