Shahr-e Zohak

Shahr-e Zohak, the Red City, is a ruined fortress guarding the eastern approach to the Bamiyan valley, its towers and walls of red mud brick rising dramatically from cliffs above the meeting of two rivers. Built and expanded over centuries, it controlled the strategic route through the central highlands and was among the strongholds overwhelmed during the Mongol invasion of the thirteenth century. The eroded ramparts still climb the ridgelines in striking silhouette against the ochre landscape.