Arg (Kabul)

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Coordinates: 34°31′25″N 69°10′44″E / 34.52361°N 69.17889°E / 34.52361; 69.17889

Arg
200229-D-AP390-1529 (49603221753).jpg
Front of the palace in February 2020
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
General information
Town or cityKabul
CountryAfghanistan
Construction started1880
Technical details
Structural systemAfghan
SizeApproximately 34 ha (83 acres)

The Arg (Persian/Pashto: ارګ‎; meaning "citadel") serves as the presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan.[1] It sits on a 34-hectare (83-acre) site in District 2, between Deh Afghanan and the affluent neighborhood of Wazir Akbar Khan. It has been used by many Afghan heads of state, from Emir Abdur Rahman Khan to former President Ashraf Ghani.

The Arg was built after the destruction of the Bala Hissar in 1880.[2] Its foundation was laid by Abdur Rahman Khan.[3] After the Fall of Kabul, on August 15, 2021, the Arg was captured by the Taliban.[4]

History[]

The foundation of the Arg was laid by Emir Abdur Rahman Khan in 1880 after assuming the throne.[3] It was designed as a castle with a water-filled trench around it. Abdur Rahman Khan named it Arg-e-Shahi (Citadel of the King) and included, among other buildings, a residence for his family, an army barracks, and the national treasury. Previously, the Bala Hissar served as the citadel or the headquarters of the emirs until it was destroyed by the Frontier Force Regiment during the Second Anglo-Afghan war (1878–80).

The Arg has served as the royal and presidential palace for all of the kings and presidents of Afghanistan. Hafizullah Amin also used Tajbeg Palace as the residence for his family. It has undergone modifications and revitalization under the different rulers. During the 1978 Saur Revolution, General Mohammed Daoud Khan and his family were assassinated by members of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) inside the Arg.

On 15 August 2021, following the 2021 Taliban offensive and the near seizure of the capital, the Taliban occupied the Arg after president Ashraf Ghani fled the country purportedly for peace and to avoid bloodshed.[5][6]

Construction[]

The Arg (up to 15 August 2021) consisted of the following:

  • The Gul Khana, which served as the offices for President Ashraf Ghani and the President's Protocol Office;
  • The Offices of the President's Chief of Staff;
  • The National Security Advisor's building; and the Offices of the Spokesperson to the President.
  • Offices for the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF).
  • Building for the Administrative Office of the President.
  • Various buildings for receiving delegations or hosting large meetings.

Gallery[]

See also[]

Other palaces in Kabul:

References[]

  1. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 September 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ "From the Bala Hissar to the Arg: How Royal Fortress Palaces Shaped Kabul, 1830–1930". Archnet. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Travel and Tourism". 5 December 2013.
  4. ^ "Photos: Taliban takes control of Afghan presidential palace". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  5. ^ Mishal Husain, Paul Adams, Malik Mudassir, Ben Wright, Jon Sopel (15 August 2021). Taliban seize power in Afghanistan as President flees country (Television production). London: BBC News. Retrieved 15 August 2021 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ "Afghanistan Taliban Crisis Live Updates: Taliban seize Afghan presidential palace; reports of firing at Kabul airport". The Economic Times. Mumbai. 3 June 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
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