View source for Place:Ghazni

{{Short description|City in Ghazni Province, Afghanistan}}
{{Infobox settlement
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| name                            = Ghazni
| official_name                   = 
| native_name                     = {{lang|prs|غزنی}}
| settlement_type                 = City
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| pushpin_map_caption             = Location in Afghanistan
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| subdivision_type                = [[Earth:List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name                = {{flag|Afghanistan}}
| subdivision_type1               = Province
| subdivision_name1               = Ghazni Province
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| subdivision_name2               = Ghazni District
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| elevation_m                     = 2219
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| population_total                = 190,424
| population_as_of                = 2021
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'''Ghazni''' ({{lang-prs|غزنی}}, {{lang-ps|غزني}}), historically known as '''Ghaznain''' ({{lang|prs|غزنين}}) or '''Ghazna''' ({{lang|prs|غزنه}}), also transliterated as '''Ghuznee''', and anciently known as '''Alexandria in Opiana''' ({{lang-gr|Αλεξάνδρεια Ωπιανή}}),<ref>[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.04.0006:entry=alexandrian-foundations The Princeton Encyclopedia of Classical Sites, ALEXANDRIAN FOUNDATIONS Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Soviet Central Asia, India]</ref> is a city in southeastern Afghanistan<ref>{{Cite web|title=ḠAZNĪ – Encyclopaedia Iranica|url=https://iranicaonline.org/articles/gazni-|access-date=2021-02-22|website=iranicaonline.org}}</ref> with a population of around 190,000 people.<ref name=nsia>{{cite web |url=https://www.nsia.gov.af:8080/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Estimated-Population-of-Afghanistan1-1400.pdf |title=Estimated Population of Afghanistan 2021-22 |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=April 2021 |website= |publisher=National Statistic and Information Authority (NSIA)|archive-date=June 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624204559/https://www.nsia.gov.af:8080/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Estimated-Population-of-Afghanistan1-1400.pdf|url-status=live |access-date=June 21, 2021 |quote=}}</ref> The city is strategically located along Highway 1, which has served as the main road between [[Place:Kabul|Kabul]] and [[Place:Kandahar|Kandahar]] for thousands of years. Situated on a plateau at 2,219 metres (7,280&nbsp;ft) above sea level, the city is {{convert|150|km|mi}} south of Kabul and is the capital of Ghazni Province. The name Ghazni drives from the Persian word "ganj", meaning ‘treasure’.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Everett-Heath |first=John |url=https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/acref/9780191882913.001.0001/acref-9780191882913;jsessionid=12BDC6A4DA8F397E6A91CA2E9BE3752D |title=The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names |date=2019-10-24 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-188291-3 |language=en-US |doi=10.1093/acref/9780191882913.001.0001}}</ref>

Ghazni Citadel, the Minarets of Ghazni, the Palace of Sultan Mas'ud III, and several other cultural heritage sites have brought travelers and archeologists to the city for centuries. During the pre-Islamic period, the area was inhabited by various tribes who practiced different religions including [[Religion:Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrianism]], [[Religion:Buddhism|Buddhism]] and [[Religion:Hinduism|Hinduism]].<ref name=Richards>{{cite journal |last= Richards |first= J.F. |date= 1974 |title= The Islamic frontier in the east: Expansion into South Asia |journal= Journal of South Asian Studies|volume= 4 |issue= 1 |pages= 91–109 |doi= 10.1080/00856407408730690 }}</ref><ref>Gnoli, Zoroaster’s Time and Homeland, pp. 26–39</ref> Arab Muslims introduced [[Religion:Islam|Islam]] to Ghazni in the 7th century and were followed in the 9th century by the Saffarids. Sabuktigin made Ghazni the capital of the [[History:Ghaznavids|Ghaznavid Empire]] in the 10th century. The city was destroyed by one of the Ghurid rulers but later rebuilt. It fell to several regional powers, including the Timurids and the [[History:Delhi Sultanate|Delhi Sultanate]] until it became part of the Hotaki dynasty, which was followed by the [[Place:Durrani Empire|Durrani Empire]] or modern Afghanistan. During the First Anglo-Afghan War in the 19th century, the fortifications of Ghazni were partially demolished by British Indian forces.

In August 2018, the city became the site of the Battle of Ghazni with the Taliban briefly occupying it and taking control of most of the surrounding area. On 12 August 2021, the city was captured by the Taliban as part of the 2021 Taliban offensive.<ref name="theguardian.com">{{cite web|title=Taliban take strategic Ghazni city as Afghan army chief is replaced|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/12/afghanistan-taliban-lashkar-gah--army-chief-is-replaced|website={{wipe|The Guardian}}|date=12 August 2021}}</ref><ref name="Varshalomidze">{{cite web|first=Tamila|last=Varshalomidze|date=12 August 2021|title=Taliban captures Ghazni city, all government officials flee: Live|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/8/12/afghanistan-taliban-kandahar-prison-police-ghazni-live-updates|publisher=[[Engineering:Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera English]]}}</ref><ref name="pc10">{{cite news |title=Taliban move closer to capital after taking Ghazni city |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210812-taliban-move-closer-to-capital-after-taking-ghazni-city |access-date=12 August 2021 |publisher=France24 |date=12 August 2021}}</ref>

In 2013, ISESCO declared Ghazni the year's Islamic Capital of Culture.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-ghazni-islamic-culture/24956669.html |title=Ghazni To Be Islamic Capital Of Culture |website=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty |access-date=31 March 2018}}</ref>

==History==
[[File: Atkinson1839.jpg|left|thumb|A 19th-century artwork by James Atkinson showing Ghazni's citadel and the Ghazni Minarets, which were built by Mas'ud III and Bahram-Shah during the Ghaznavid era (963–1187)]]

The city was founded some time in [[History:Ancient history|antiquity]] as a small market town. It may be the ''Gazaca'' (''Gázaca'' or ''Gāzaca'') mentioned by [[Biography:Ptolemy|Ptolemy]],<ref name=Iranica>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Guinta |first=Roberta |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Iranica]] |title=GAZNÈ (or GÚazna, GÚazn^n) |url=http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v10f4/v10f431.html |access-date=January 2, 2008 |edition=Online |publisher=[[Organization:Columbia University|Columbia University]] |location=United States }}{{dead link |date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> although he may have conflated it and the town of Ganzak (or Gazaka) in Iran.

In the 6th century BC, it was conquered by the Achaemenid king Cyrus II and incorporated into the [[Place:Achaemenid Empire|Persian Empire]]. The city was subsequently incorporated into the empire of Alexander the Great in 329 BC, and called '''Alexandria in Opiana'''.
By the 7th century AD, the area was a major center of [[Religion:Buddhism|Buddhism]]. In 644, the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang visited a city named '''Jaguda'''—which was almost certainly the contemporary name of the later Ghazni.<ref>BA Litvinsky, Zhang Guang-Da, R. Shabani Samghabadi, ''History of civilizations of Central Asia'', pg. 385</ref><ref>Hui-li, 1959, p. 188</ref>

In 683, Arab armies brought [[Religion:Islam|Islam]] to the region. Yaqub Saffari from [[Place:Zaranj|Zaranj]] conquered the city in the late 9th century. The Saffarids reduced the formerly Lawik dynasty to tributary status. In 962, the Turkic slave commander of the [[Place:Samanid Empire|Samanid Empire]], Alp-Tegin, attacked the city and besieged the Citadel of Ghazni for four months, wresting the city from Abu Bakr Lawik.<ref name=Volume5>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=16yHq5v3QZAC&pg=PA6|title=The Cambridge History of Iran, Volume 5|author=John Andrew Boyle|page=165|publisher={{wipe|Cambridge University Press}}|isbn=9780521069366|year=1968}}</ref> Around 965, Abu Bakr Lawik recaptured Ghazni from Alp-Tegin's son, Abu Ishaq Ibrahim, forcing him to flee to [[Place:Bukhara|Bukhara]]. However, this was not to last long because Abu Ishaq Ibrahim shortly returned to the town with Samanid aid, and took control of the town once again. For nearly two hundred years (977–1163), the city was the dazzling capital of the [[History:Ghaznavids|Ghaznavid Empire]], which encompassed much of what is today Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Eastern Iran and Rajasthan. The Ghaznavids took Islam to India and returned with fabulous riches looted from Hindu temples. Although the city was sacked in 1151 by the Ghorid Ala'uddin, it became their secondary capital in 1173, and subsequently flourished once again. Between 1215 and 1221, Ghazni was ruled by the Khwarezmid Empire, during which time it was destroyed by the Mongol armies of Genghis Khan's son Ögedei Khan.<ref name ="Columbia">{{cite web |url=http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/world/A0820705.html |title=Ghazni |publisher=The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press}}</ref>

[[File:Zahir al-Din Muhammad Babur - Babur Being Entertained in Ghazni by Jahangir Mirza - Walters W59612B - Full Page.jpg|thumb|left|Timurid conqueror Babur at Ghazni]]

In the first decades of the 11th century, Ghazni was the most important center of Persian literature. This was the result of the cultural policy of Sultan Mahmud (reigned 998–1030), who assembled a circle of scholars, philosophers, and poets around his throne in support of his claim to royal status in [[Religion:Iran|Iran]].<ref>Encyclopædia Britannica: [https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/452843/Persian-literature/277134/The-proliferation-of-court-patronage?anchor=ref997402 Persian literature], retrieved</ref>

The noted Moroccan travelling scholar, Ibn Battuta, visiting Ghazni in 1333, wrote:

{{Cquote|"We travelled thence to Parwan, where I met the amir Buruntayh. He treated me well and wrote to his representatives at Ghazna enjoining them to show me honour. We went on to the village of Charkh [Charikar], it being now summer, and from there to the town of Ghazna. This is the town of the famous warrior-sultan Mahmud ibn Sabuktagin, one of the greatest of rulers, who made frequent raids into India and captured cities and fortresses there. His grave is in this city and is surmounted by a hospice. The greater part of the town is in ruins and nothing but a fraction of it remains, though it was once a large city. It has an exceedingly cold climate, and the inhabitants move from it in the cold season to [[Place:Kandahar|Qandahar]], a large and prosperous town three nights journey from Ghazna, but I did not visit it."<ref>{{cite book |title=Travels in Asia and Africa, 1325–1354 |author=Ibn Battuta |edition=reprint, illustrated |year=2004 |publisher=Routledge |location=London |isbn= 9780415344739 |page=179 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zKqn_CWTxYEC&pg=PA179 |access-date=2010-09-10}}</ref>|Ibn Battuta, 1304–1369}}
Tamerlanes's grandson, Pir Muhammad bin Djinhangir, became the governor of Ghazni (along with Kabul and Kandahar) in 1401. Babur conquered the region in 1504 and personally thought that Ghazni was "a mean place" and pondered why any of the princes of the region would make it their seat of government. Ghazni stayed under Mughal control until 1738 when Iranian ruler Nader Shah invaded the area. After Nader Shah's death, Ghazni became part of the [[Place:Durrani Empire|Durrani empire]].<ref name=":0" />[[File:CH-NB - Afghanistan, Ghazni (Ghazna)- Menschen - Annemarie Schwarzenbach - SLA-Schwarzenbach-A-5-21-155.jpg|thumb|View of Ghazni Citadel, 1939]]
[[File:CH-NB - Afghanistan, Ghazni (Ghazna)- Stadtansicht - Annemarie Schwarzenbach - SLA-Schwarzenbach-A-5-21-170.jpg|thumb|People by the city gate, 1939]]
[[File:Ghazni City during 1839-42.jpg|left|thumb|Artwork by James Rattray showing the Citadel of Ghazni and other historical sites, during the First Anglo-Afghan War]]

Ghazni City is famous for its Ghazni Minarets built on a stellar plan. They date from the middle of the twelfth century and are the surviving elements of the [[Engineering:Mosque|mosque]] of Bahramshah. Their sides are decorated with intricate geometric patterns. Some of the upper sections of the minarets have been damaged or destroyed. The most important mausoleum located in Ghazni City is that of Sultan Mahmud. Others include the Tombs of poets and scientists, such as the Tomb of Al Biruni. The only ruins in Old Ghazni retaining a semblance of architectural form are two towers, about 43&nbsp;m (140&nbsp;ft) high and 365&nbsp;m (1,200&nbsp;ft) apart. According to inscriptions, the towers were constructed by Mahmud of Ghazni and his son. For more than eight centuries the “Towers of Victory” monuments to Afghanistan's greatest empire have survived wars and invasions, the two toffee-colored minarets, adorned with terra-cotta tiles were raised in the early 12th century as monuments to the victories of the Afghan armies that built the empire. By the time the Ghurids had finalized the Ghaznavid removal from Ghazni, the city was a cultural center of the eastern Islamic world.<ref>C.E. Bosworth, ''The Later Ghaznavids'', (Columbia University Press, 1977), 115.</ref>

The Buddhist site at Ghazni is known as Tapar Sardar and consists of a stupa on a hilltop, surrounded by a row of smaller stupas.<ref name=":0">Trudy Ring, Robert M. Salkin, Sharon La Boda (1996) International Dictionary of Historic Places: Asia and Oceania v.5, P. 279-282. Taylor & Francis, {{ISBN|1-884964-04-4}}</ref> Nearby, an {{convert|18|m|adj=on}} long [[Philosophy:Parinirvana|Parinirvana]] (reclining) Buddha was excavated between the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is believed to have been built in the 8th century AD as part of a monastery complex.<ref>A note on the Parinirvana Buddha at Tapar Sardar M. Taddei (1974) South Asian archaeology 1973: papers from the second International Conference of the Association for the Promotion of South Asian Archaeology in Western Europe, Brill Archive, {{ISBN|90-04-04189-3}}</ref> In the 1980s, a mud brick shelter was created to protect the sculpture, but the wood supports were stolen for firewood and the shelter partially collapsed. In 2001, the [[Religion:Taliban|Taliban]] blew the Buddha up, believing it to be idolatrous.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1222776.stm Afghan Buddha destruction revealed] 15/03/01 BBC News Site</ref>

[[File:Lincoln Learning Center in Ghazni.jpg|thumb|U.S. Deputy Ambassador to Afghanistan Anthony Wayne and Ghazni's Governor Musa Khan Ahmadzai are talking to students who use Afghanistan's newest Lincoln Learning Center]]

During the First Anglo-Afghan War, the city was captured by British forces on 23 July 1839 in the Battle of Ghazni. The Civil war in Afghanistan and the continued conflict between the [[Religion:Taliban|Taliban]] and the Northern Alliance during the 1990s put the relics of Ghazni in jeopardy. Ghazni's strategic position, both economically and militarily, assured its revival, albeit without its dazzling former grandeur. Through the centuries the city has figured prominently as the all-important key to the possession of [[Place:Kabul|Kabul]].

After the 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan, the United States armed forces built a base in Ghazni. They have been involved in rebuilding projects and protecting the local population against Taliban insurgents. In the meantime, they are also training the Afghan Local Police (ALP) Afghan National Police (ANP) and Afghan National Army (ANA). In 2010, the United States established the Lincoln Learning Center in Ghazni.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://waronterrornews.typepad.com/home/2010/09/ghazni-gov-lincoln-learning-center.html |title=Ghazni governor signs memorandum for Lincoln Learning Center - War On Terror News |website=waronterrornews.typepad.com |access-date=31 March 2018}}</ref> The Lincoln learning centers in Afghanistan serve as programming platforms offering English language classes, library facilities, programming venues, Internet connectivity, educational and other counseling services. A goal of the program is to reach at least 4,000 Afghan citizens per month per location.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://photos.state.gov/libraries/afghanistan/231771/PDFs/RFP-Lincoln-Learning-Centers.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2017-06-24 |archive-date=2011-06-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628130803/http://photos.state.gov/libraries/afghanistan/231771/PDFs/RFP-Lincoln-Learning-Centers.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 10 August 2018, the city was attacked by the Taliban during the Battle of Ghazni. Dozens of airstrikes were carried out in support of Afghan police and government forces and hundreds of Afghan soldiers, police, and Taliban insurgents were killed as well as dozens of civilians. In addition to the destruction and human suffering caused by the fighting, the Taliban also set fire to many buildings in the city.

On 18 May 2020, a suicide [[Engineering:Humvee|Humvee]] bomber affiliated with the Taliban killed nine Afghan intelligence personnel and injured 40 others at the National Directorate of Security (NDS) unit in Ghazni, also damaging the nearby Islamic Cultural Centre.<ref name="wp">{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/official-suicide-bomber-in-eastern-afghanistan-kills-5/2020/05/18/a7a9d542-98c1-11ea-ad79-eef7cd734641_story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523162459/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/official-suicide-bomber-in-eastern-afghanistan-kills-5/2020/05/18/a7a9d542-98c1-11ea-ad79-eef7cd734641_story.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 23, 2020|title=Taliban suicide bomber kills 9 troops in eastern Afghanistan|date=May 18, 2020|via=www.washingtonpost.com/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-05/18/c_139066055.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200520104753/http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-05/18/c_139066055.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 20, 2020|title=At least 7 killed in Taliban attack in Afghanistan's Ghazni|date=May 18, 2020|via=www.xinhuanet.com/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/05/18/world/asia/ap-as-afghanistan.html|title=Official: Suicide Bomber in Eastern Afghanistan Kills 5|date=May 18, 2020|via=www.nytimes.com/}}</ref>

Ghazni was the tenth provincial capital of Afghanistan to be captured by the [[Religion:Taliban|Taliban]] as part of the 2021 Taliban offensive.<ref name="theguardian.com"/><ref name="Varshalomidze"/><ref name="pc10"/>

== Geography ==

=== Land Use ===
Ghazni is a trading and transit hub in central Afghanistan. Agriculture is the dominant land use at 28%.<ref name="auto1">{{cite book|url=http://unhabitat.org/books/soac2015_volume2/|title=The State of Afghan Cities Report 2015|ref=UN-Habitat|access-date=20 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031111658/http://unhabitat.org/books/soac2015_volume2/|archive-date=31 October 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> In terms of built-up land area, vacant plots (33%) slightly outweigh residential area (31%).<ref name="auto1" /> Districts 3 and 4 also have large institutional areas. The city has four police districts (''nahia'') and covers a total land area of 3,330 hectares.<ref name="auto1" /> The total number of dwellings in Ghazni city is 15,931.<ref name="auto1" />

=== Climate ===
Ghazni's climate is transitional between a cold semi-arid climate ([[Earth:Köppen climate classification|Köppen climate classification]] ''BSk'') and a hot-summer humid continental climate (''Dsa''). It has cold, snowy winters and warm, dry summers. Precipitation is low and mostly falls in winter (as snow) and spring (as rain). Winters are very cold by, with a subzero January daily average temperature of {{convert|−5.9|°C|1}}, mainly due to the high elevation of the city.

{{Weather box
|width = auto
| location     = Ghazni
| metric first = Yes
| single line  = Yes
| Jan record high C = 16.0
| Feb record high C = 17.8
| Mar record high C = 24.8
| Apr record high C = 28.0
| May record high C = 33.0
| Jun record high C = 36.3
| Jul record high C = 36.7
| Aug record high C = 35.6
| Sep record high C = 32.5
| Oct record high C = 29.9
| Nov record high C = 21.2
| Dec record high C = 16.6
| Jan high C = 0.6
| Feb high C = 2.3
| Mar high C = 10.0
| Apr high C = 18.0
| May high C = 23.7
| Jun high C = 29.2
| Jul high C = 30.8
| Aug high C = 30.5
| Sep high C = 26.5
| Oct high C = 19.0
| Nov high C = 12.6
| Dec high C = 5.4
| Jan mean C = -5.9
| Feb mean C = -4.4
| Mar mean C = 3.8
| Apr mean C = 11.0
| May mean C = 16.3
| Jun mean C = 21.4
| Jul mean C = 23.3
| Aug mean C = 22.2
| Sep mean C = 16.9
| Oct mean C = 10.3
| Nov mean C = 4.0
| Dec mean C = -1.8
| Jan low C = -10.6
| Feb low C = -9.0
| Mar low C = -1.5
| Apr low C = 4.2
| May low C = 8.1
| Jun low C = 12.4
| Jul low C = 15.1
| Aug low C = 14.1
| Sep low C = 8.3
| Oct low C = 2.2
| Nov low C = -2.5
| Dec low C = -6.6
| Jan record low C = -33.5
| Feb record low C = -29.2
| Mar record low C = -17.5
| Apr record low C = -5.8
| May record low C = 0.0
| Jun record low C = 5.0
| Jul record low C = 7.7
| Aug record low C = 2.0
| Sep record low C = -3.5
| Oct record low C = -6.0
| Nov record low C = −13.8
| Dec record low C = −33.2
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 40.2
| Feb precipitation mm = 53.9
| Mar precipitation mm = 70.9
| Apr precipitation mm = 49.9
| May precipitation mm = 19.7
| Jun precipitation mm = 1.9
| Jul precipitation mm = 14.1
| Aug precipitation mm = 4.7
| Sep precipitation mm = 0.5
| Oct precipitation mm = 4.1
| Nov precipitation mm = 11.3
| Dec precipitation mm = 25.8
| Jan rain days = 1
| Feb rain days = 2
| Mar rain days = 7
| Apr rain days = 9
| May rain days = 6
| Jun rain days = 1
| Jul rain days = 3
| Aug rain days = 2
| Sep rain days = 0
| Oct rain days = 1
| Nov rain days = 2
| Dec rain days = 1
| Jan snow days = 6
| Feb snow days = 7
| Mar snow days = 4
| Apr snow days = 1
| May snow days = 0
| Jun snow days = 0
| Jul snow days = 0
| Aug snow days = 0
| Sep snow days = 0
| Oct snow days = 0
| Nov snow days = 1
| Dec snow days = 5
| Jan sun = 175.3
| Feb sun = 174.8
| Mar sun = 227.6
| Apr sun = 258.6
| May sun = 314.3
| Jun sun = 346.2
| Jul sun = 353.2
| Aug sun = 341.8
| Sep sun = 324.5
| Oct sun = 293.9
| Nov sun = 256.4
| Dec sun = 194.6
| Jan humidity = 68
| Feb humidity = 72
| Mar humidity = 64
| Apr humidity = 55
| May humidity = 43
| Jun humidity = 36
| Jul humidity = 43
| Aug humidity = 39
| Sep humidity = 35
| Oct humidity = 42
| Nov humidity = 52
| Dec humidity = 60
| source 1 = NOAA (1958–1983)<ref name= NOAA>{{cite web
  |url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/RA-II/AH/40968.TXT
  |title =Ghazni Climate Normals 1958-1983
  |publisher = [[Organization:National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
  |access-date = February 17, 2013}}</ref> 
| date     = September 2011}}

==Demography==
[[File:Boys in Ghazni.jpg|thumb|A young boy and his friends play outside the Danish Centre educational facility in Ghazni City as members of Provincial Reconstruction Team Ghazni unload computers to be donated to the facility.]]

The city of Ghazni's population surged from 143,379 in 2015<ref name="auto">{{cite book|url=http://unhabitat.org/books/soac2015/|title=The State of Afghan Cities Report 2015|ref=UN-Habitat|access-date=21 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031111515/http://unhabitat.org/books/soac2015/|archive-date=31 October 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> to 270,000 in 2018 as refugees from violent areas fled to the city.<ref name="WSJ">[https://www.wsj.com/articles/afghan-city-gauges-toll-after-taliban-siege-1534276608 Afghan City Gauges Toll After Taliban Siege ]. ''Wall Street Journal''.</ref> In 2015, there were 15,931 dwellings in Ghazni city.<ref name="auto1"/>

The population is multi-ethnic, with approximately 50% being Tajik, 25% Hazara and 25% Pashtun.<ref>{{Cite web
 |url          = http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/centra/ghazni/ghazni_city.pdf
 |archive-url  = https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20070928130215/http://www.aims.org.af/afg/dist_profiles/unhcr_district_profiles/centra/ghazni/ghazni_city.pdf
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-date = 2007-09-28
 |title        = UNHCR Sub-Office Central Region, District Profile
 |access-date   = 2007-07-15
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0311/feature2/images/mp_download.2.pdf |title=2003 National Geographic Population Map |work=Thomas Gouttierre, Center For Afghanistan Studies, University of Nebraska at Omaha; Matthew S. Baker, Stratfor |publisher=[[Organization:National Geographic Society|National Geographic Society]] |year=2003 |access-date=2011-04-11 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2017-09-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912083622/http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0311/feature2/images/mp_download.2.pdf }}</ref>

==Infrastructure==
[[File:School in Ghazni.jpg|thumb|Jahan Maleeka School is an all-girls school which has over 5,000 students and 150 teachers.]]
[[File:130422-A-TB205-027.jpg|thumb|200px|Newly constructed gates in Ghazni]]

===Transportation===
In April 2012, Ghazni Governor Musa Khan Akbarzada laid the foundation stone of the Ghazni Airport. The work began later that year and was supervised by the managing director of the Ghazni province Engineer Ahmad Wali Tawakuli.<ref name=PAN>{{cite news |url=http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2012/04/11/ghazni-have-first-ever-international-airport |title=Ghazni to have first-ever international airport |publisher=Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN) |editor=Mirwais Himmat |date=April 11, 2012 |access-date=2012-06-08}}</ref>

The city is next to Afghanistan's main highway that runs between [[Place:Kabul|Kabul]] and [[Place:Kandahar|Kandahar]] in the south. There are roads leading to [[Place:Gardez|Gardez]] and in the east and other nearby villages as well as to towns in Hazarajat in the northwest.

===Education===
The city has a number of public schools. Jahan Maleeka School is an all-girls school with over 5,000 students and 150 teachers. Naswan Shaher Kohna School, another all-girls school, has over 3000 students. The Adult Literacy Rate as of 2012 accounted for 41.2% <small>(2012).[https://knoema.com/atlas/Afghanistan/Ghazni]</small>

===Resources===
Ghazni City is in an area of low rainfall. In 2007, one of the gates on a 50-year-old dam on the Jikhai River broke, bringing up concerns among the inhabitants of Ghazni city about the water supply. The dam serves as a good source of irrigation water to Ghazni City and the surrounding agricultural areas.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://southasianmedia.net/cnn.cfm?id=372763&category=Services&Country=AFGHANISTAN |title=Ghazni's Zanakhan Dam damaged |access-date=2007-07-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927215508/http://southasianmedia.net/cnn.cfm?id=372763&category=Services&Country=AFGHANISTAN |archive-date=2007-09-27 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.afghanistannewscenter.com/news/2007/march/mar172007.html#19 Heavy water flow damages Ghazni's Zanakhan Dam] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220100217/http://www.afghanistannewscenter.com/news/2007/march/mar172007.html#19 |date=2012-02-20 }} Mar 15 2007, Pajhwok Afghan News</ref> Nearby rivers have a history of flooding and causing severe damage and death,<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.pakistantimes.net/2005/03/30/top9.htmJikhai
|title=Dam burst swamps Ghazni city of Afghanistan
|publisher=Pakistan Times
|access-date=2007-07-15
}} </ref> though efforts have begun to remedy this.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/afghanistan/ghazni.htm
|title=Ghazni
|publisher=GlobalSecurity.org
|access-date=2007-07-15
}}</ref>

==Sports==
;Professional sports teams from Ghazni
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! scope="col" | Club
! scope="col" | League
! scope="col" | Sport
! scope="col" | Venue
! scope="col" | Established
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;" | Band-e-Amir Dragons
| Shpageeza Cricket League
| Cricket
| Ghazni Cricket Ground
| 2013
|-
! scope="row" style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;" | Oqaban Hindukush F.C.
| Afghan Premier League
| Football
| Ghazni Ground
| 2012
|}

* '''Stadiums'''
** Ghazni Cricket Ground
** Ghazni Ground

== Notable people ==

=== Rulers and emperors ===

* Abu Bakr Lawik, ruler of Ghazni from the Lawik dynasty
* Abu Ali Lawik, son of Abu Bakr Lawik and ruler of the Lawik dynasty
* Sabuktigin, founder of the Ghaznavid dynasty
* Mahmud of Ghazni, son of Sabuktigin, first independent ruler of the dynasty of Ghaznavids in the 11th-century
* Muhammad of Ghazni, son of Mahmud of Ghazni and Sultan of the Ghaznavid empire
* Masʽud I of Ghazni, twin brother of Muhammad of Ghazni and Sultan of the Ghaznavid empire
* Mawdud of Ghazni, nephew of Muhammad of Ghazni and Sultan of the Ghaznavid empire
* Ibrahim of Ghazna, Sultan of the Ghaznavid empire
* Khusrau Malik, Sultan of the Ghaznavid empire
* Bahram-Shah of Ghazna, Sultan of the Ghaznavids empire
* Muhammad Shah, thirteenth Mughal emperor in the 18th-century

=== Politicians and military leaders ===

* Alp-Tegin Turkic slave commander of the [[Place:Samanid Empire|Samanid Empire]], became later the semi-independent governor of Ghazni til his death in Ghazni
* Abu Ishaq Ibrahim of Ghazna, son of Alp-Tegin, Turkic officer and the [[Place:Samanid Empire|Samanid]] governor of Ghazni
* Böritigin of Ghazni, Turkic officer and the [[Place:Samanid Empire|Samanid]] governor of Ghazni
*Ismail of Ghazni, son of Sabuktigin and brother of Mahmud, [[Religion:Emir|emir]] of Ghazna
* Ali ibn Ishak, financial minister of the [[History:Ghaznavids|Ghaznavids]]
* Abd al-Razzaq Maymandi, vizier of the Ghaznavid [[Religion:Sultan|Sultan]] Mawdud Ghaznavi and Abd al-Rashid
*Toghrul of Ghazna, Turkish slave general and usurper of the [[History:Ghaznavids|Ghaznavid]] throne 
* Azad Khan Afghan, Pashtun military commander from the 18th-century
* Nur Muhammad Taraki, former president of Afghanistan

* Abdul Hakim Dalili, Ambassador of Afghanistan to Doha Qatar.

=== Poets and scientists ===

* [[Biography:Al-Biruni|Abu Rayhan Al-Biruni]], famous 10/11th-century Iranian scholar and [[History:Polymath|polymath]], worked and died in Ghazni 
* Abu'l-Fadl Bayhaqi, 10/11th-century [[Social:Persian language|Persian]] secretary, historian and author at the court of the [[History:Ghaznavids|Ghazanvids]], also died in Ghazni
* Asjadi, [[Social:Persian language|Persian]] royal poet at the court of the [[History:Ghaznavids|Ghaznavids]] in Ghazni
* Farrukhi Sistani, [[Social:Persian language|Persian]] royal poet at the court of the [[History:Ghaznavids|Ghaznavids]], spent most of his life in Ghazni and also died there
* Manuchehri Dāmghānī, [[Social:Persian language|Persian]] royal poet at the court of the [[History:Ghaznavids|Ghaznavids]] in Ghazni, most probably died in Ghazni, too
* Unsuri Balkhi, [[Social:Persian language|Persian]] royal poet at the court of the [[History:Ghaznavids|Ghaznavids]] in Ghazni
* Hakim Sanai Ghaznavi, 11/12th-century [[Social:Persian language|Persian]] Sufi poet and mystic
* Hassan Ghaznavi, 12th-century [[Social:Persian language|Persian]] poet
* Faiz Mohammad Katib Hazara, 19/20th-century historian, writer and intellectual
* Abdul Rahman Pazhwak Afghan poet and diplomat
* Bhai Nand Lal Goya, court poet of the 10th Sikh Guru, [[Biography:Guru Gobind Singh|Guru Gobind Singh]]

=== Religious leaders ===
*Shaykh Syed ʿAlī al-Hujwīrī, 11th-century [[Social:Persian language|Persian]] Sunni Muslim [[Philosophy:Mysticism|mystic]], theologian, and preacher
* Jamal al-Din al-Ghaznawi, 12th-cenrtury Sunni Hanafi jurist, theologian, and [[Religion:Kalam|Kalam]] scholar of the [[Religion:Maturidi|Maturidi]] school
* Pir Ghulam Mohiudin Ghaznavi (1902-1975), was an Islamic Sufi scholar. He was born in Ghazni and later went to Pakistan for business. He became a [[Religion:Murid|disciple]] of Pir Qasim Sadiq Mohrvi from Mohra Sharif and converted to [[Religion:Sufism|Sufism]] and settled at Nerian Sharif Azad Kashmir {{wipe|Pakistan}}.
* Gholam Mohammad Niazi, Political Islamic movement thinker, Dean of the faculty of theology at [[Organization:Kabul University|Kabul University]]

=== Others ===
* Abdul Ahad Mohmand, first Afghan citizen and fourth [[Religion:Muslim|Muslim]] to journey to outer space

==Points of interest==
* Citadel of Ghazni
* Minarets of Ghazni
* Palace of Sultan Mas'ud III
* Tomb of Sebuktigin
* Mausoleum of Sultan Mahmud
* Mausoleum of Sanai
* Museum of Islamic Art
* Tapa Sardar Excavations
*Tomb of [[Biography:Al-Biruni|Al Biruni]]

==Twin towns – sister cities==
* {{flagicon|USA}} Hayward, California, US<ref>[http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/Asia/Afghanistan/index Sister Cities International] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007235431/http://www.sister-cities.org/icrc/directory/Asia/Afghanistan/index |date=2008-10-07 }}</ref>
* {{flagicon|POL}} Giżycko, {{wipe|Poland}}<ref>[http://gizycko.wm.pl/92614,Co-Gizycko-laczy-z-Ghazni.html Co Giżycko łączy z Ghazni? ] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111203948/http://gizycko.wm.pl/92614%2CCo-Gizycko-laczy-z-Ghazni.html |date=2013-11-11 }}</ref>

==See also==
* Ghazni Province
* Mahmud of Ghazni
* [[Religion:Iconoclasm|Iconoclasm]]
* [[History:Ghaznavids|Ghaznavids]]
*List of cities founded by Alexander the Great

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
; Published in the 19th century
* {{Cite book |publisher = G. Routledge |location = London |title = A Personal Narrative of a Visit to Ghuzni, Kabul and Afghanistan |author = G. T. Vigne |year= 1843 |edition=2nd |oclc = 6388460 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/personalnarrativ00vign#page/124/mode/2up |chapter=Ghuzni }}
* {{Cite book |publisher = B. Quaritch |location = London |author = Edward Balfour |title = Cyclopaedia of India |edition=3rd |year = 1885 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/cyclopaediaofind01balfuoft#page/1196/mode/2up |chapter= Ghazni }}

; Published in the 20th century

; Published in the 21st century
* {{cite book |title=Historic Cities of the Islamic World |editor=C. Edmund Bosworth |year=2007 |publisher=Koninklijke Brill |location=Leiden |chapter=Ghazna }}
* {{cite book |chapter= Ghazna |title=Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art & Architecture |year=2009 |publisher=Oxford University Press }}
* Col James Tod's "Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan" Vol. II, Annals of Jaisalmer, page 200,

==External links==
* [https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20060923172613/http://www.aims.org.af/maps/district/ghazni/ghazni.pdf Map of Ghazni district]
* [http://www.ghazni.info Ghazni.info]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160205024522/http://ghazni.org/ Ghazni.org]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080313094435/http://www.afghan-network.net/Culture/ghazni.html 1911 encyclopedia entry]
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080313094435/http://www.afghan-network.net/Culture/ghazni.html |date=March 13, 2008 |title=The City Of Ghazni }}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.islamicarchitecturedatabase.org/ircica/index2.php?page=Country&id=1 |title=Ghazni |work=Islamic Cultural Heritage Database |publisher=Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture |location=Istanbul |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130615060946/http://www.islamicarchitecturedatabase.org/ircica/index2.php?page=Country&id=1 |archive-date=2013-06-15 }}
* {{cite web|author=ArchNet.org |publisher=MIT School of Architecture and Planning |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA |url=http://archnet.org/library/places/one-place.jsp?place_id=6888 |title=Ghazni |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080505034804/http://archnet.org/library/places/one-place.jsp?place_id=6888 |archive-date=2008-05-05 }}

{{S-start}}
{{Succession box|title=Capital of Khwarazmian Empire (Persia)|before= [[Place:Samarkand|Samarkand]]|after=[[Place:Tabriz|Tabriz]]|years=1220–1221}}
{{S-end}}

[[Category:Provincial capitals in Afghanistan]]

{{Sourceattribution|Ghazni}}