Guide to the Forty Steps and King's Mausoleum in Kandahar

The Forty Steps, known as Chihil Zina, were carved by the Mughal Emperor Babur. These massive steps lead to a niche where Emperor Babur erected a monument recording his conquests in India. His grandson, Akbar, later added his own inscriptions. The former Afghan King Amanullah installed iron railings, allowing visitors to safely climb the steps while holding onto the rails. Although the steps don’t look very high, we were still left breathless after climbing them. The steps are quite tall, and there are now more than forty. In the tourism office, there is a painting of this site. --- ✅ Travel Tips: - A separate permit is required to visit Kandahar; the permit issued in Kabul is not valid here. The Cultural Bureau is located in the old city area. Go to the basement floor, present your passport and Kabul permit, and the process is quick. The hotel you stay at will also require this permit, as will visiting the Forty Steps. A round-trip car ride from the new city to the Forty Steps costs 300 AFN. - Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founder of the Durrani Empire, established Kandahar as his capital. His mausoleum is located here and is said to be magnificently decorated, though **non-Muslims are not allowed inside. (Open every Thursday.) ✨ - Mirwais Hotak, the founder of the Hotak Dynasty, led the Afghans in Kandahar to break free from Persian rule. He built a fortress and made Kandahar the capital of his kingdom. He is a local hero, and his mausoleum, though less lavish than Ahmad Shah Durrani's, is still beautifully decorated! --- ✅ Accommodation: We stayed at Dubai Inn Hotel. Since foreign tourists cannot stay in the old city, we had to stay in the new city. The hotel is clean, tidy, and offers Wi-Fi and hot water. A double room costs 2000-2500 AFN, and they provided us with unlimited bottled water (great for kids!). The front desk staff speak English, and there’s a restaurant downstairs! We also checked out another hotel, NFC, but they only had single rooms available at 3000 AFN per night, which was too expensive! --- #Kandahar #KandaharTravel #FortySteps #CulturalSites #TravelDiary #Travel #ScenicJourney