What to see in Afghanistan: 10 must-sees

Stroll through the 11-hectare Mughal garden commissioned by Babur in 1528, first Mughal emperor and founder of the dynasty. Visit his tomb at the center, wander into the pavilion added by Shah Jahan in 1638, and let the restoration by the Aga Khan Foundation envelop you. Take in the monument that recounts centuries of history and culture. Walk its structures, admire the architectural details and uncover the story hidden in its stones.

Visit the five 15th-century minarets commissioned by Sultan Husayn Bayqara — originally twenty, of which only four still stand. Observe the remains of Gawhar Shad's musalla of 1417 and reflect on the passage of time at one of Herat's symbols. Take in the monument that recounts centuries of history and culture. Walk its structures, admire the architectural details and uncover the story hidden in its stones.

Visit the empty niches of the giant Buddhas, 53 and 35 meters tall, destroyed by the Taliban in 2001 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Danger. Explore 750 caves with frescoes from the 6th to the 9th centuries and uncover the Silk Road's cultural crossroads. Wander the archaeological site where ruins, artefacts and history tell of civilisations that flourished millennia ago. Walk among the stones, admire the remains and discover the past.

Step into the Hari Rud valley and behold the Minaret of Jam, the last standing Ghorid minaret, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. Walk its 65 meters of glazed brick and trace the complete Quranic band running up its shaft, while the silence of Shahrak keeps you company in utter solitude.

Follow the walls of Bala Hissar, raised in the 9th century on the hill that overlooks Kabul, to understand the city's defensive past. Step inside the vast Id Gah Mosque and then walk on to the Gardens of Babur, laid out in 1528 and keeper of the tomb of the first Mughal emperor. Cross the Lahore Gate toward the old quarter, where bird and spice markets set the daily rhythm. Among mosques, caravanserais and adobe houses, old Kabul reveals centuries of layers at every step, with the Hindu Kush mountains always as a backdrop.

Swim in the waters of Band-e-Haibat, 70 meters deep, inside Afghanistan's first national park, opened in 2009. Explore the six travertine lakes set at 3,000 meters above sea level, separated by natural dams of calcium carbonate built up by mineral deposits. Hike between the limestone walls, watch birds along the shores and photograph the contrast of the intense blue against the arid mountains of Bamyan Province.

Explore the museum founded in 1919, home to 80,000 pieces that tell Afghanistan's story. Pause at the Bactrian gold objects from the 4th century BC, the Tillya Tepe treasures from the 1st century BC, and the account of how 70% of the pieces looted between 1992 and 2001 were recovered. Take in one of Central Asia's foremost archaeological collections, from Bactria to the Buddhist kingdoms of Bamyan.

Step into one of the world's largest mosques, founded in 1200 by Ghiyath al-Din Ghori, with its four iwans and 464 domes. Admire the blue mosaic restored by master builder Mimar Shirazi between 1444 and 1526 and feel the spirituality of its 60-meter length. Visit the sacred temple where spirituality, architecture and history create a space of peace and reflection. Admire the architectural details and feel connected to the transcendent.