Afghanistan: Ghazni – Ghazni Citadel

Ghazni Citadel stands mightily over the ancient city of Ghazni. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The citadel was a key stronghold during the Ghaznavid Empire (10th-12th centuries), when Ghazni was a major center of Islamic civilization and trade, second only to Baghdad. The massive fortress was designed to surround and protect the town, forming a completely walled-off city. The walls are 45m (147 feet) tall, and the citadel dominates the city’s skyline on a plateau above it at around 2,500 feet above sea level. Constructed primarily with mud bricks and sandstone, it features massive stone walls, multiple defensive towers (originally 32, with many now damaged or collapsed), and a central keep, mosques, an armory, and more (all mostly ruined or abandoned and not being protected)s. No tourists whatsoever and no people. There is a destroyed Russian tank at the top level of the citadel.