Farah in 1906
Farah, 2460 feet above sea-level,
lies 170 miles south of Herat, 71 miles from Sabzawar
on the south Kandahar road, 150 miles from Girishk
and 225 miles from Kandahar. It is a square, walled
town; lying north and south and standing well out in
the plain it has a diameter of one mile and is in
ruins. The wall by which it is surrounded is strongly
reminiscent of Herat and comprises an enormous
embankment of earth, mixed with chopped straw. A
covered way entirely surrounds it on the outside, and
its original height was between 35 and 40 feet.
Towers rested on the ramparts at one time but,
deserted by its inhabitants and neglected by the
garrison which is its sole population, it has fallen
altogether from its high estate. The town has two
gates, that of Herat in the centre of the north face
and that of Kandahar exactly opposite on the south
side, the citadel occupying the north angle of the
wall. Farah is no longer a city. Desolate, ruined and
abandoned, its position still is of extreme
importance, as it commands the Herat and Kandahar
road and the northern entrance into Seistan. But the
water in the fort is bad and the place is unhealthy.
A general bonfire of the remains should complete the
wreck which time has so nearly accomplished. Nowadays
it does not contain more than fifty houses, yet it
could easily hold several thousand. Those still
standing are concealed by the ruins; and scattered
jets of smoke, rising from heaps of debris, are
the only indications of actual life. Formerly a
bazaar crossed the town from the Kandahar Gate to the
Herat Gate; but the few shops which remain are now
congregated near the Herat Gate, the sole industry of
the people being the manufacture of gunpowder from
saltpeter. This is collected from the numerous
water-pits which go to make up the general character
of the scene within the walls.
Hamilton, Angus. Afghanistan W.
Heinemann, 1906