Quick answerHerat is a city in Afghanistan, with 673,273 people inside the city limits in 2025. It is best known for the Great Mosque of Herat, the Herat Citadel and the Musalla Complex. Its official languages are Pashto and Dari, and its currency is the Afghan afghani.
Herat is a major city in western Afghanistan, with an estimated 673,273 settled residents in 2025. It is the capital of Herat Province and an ancient Silk Road city, known for the Great Mosque of Herat and the Herat Citadel.
Key facts
| Country | Afghanistan |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 673,273 (2025) |
| Elevation | 920 m above sea level |
| Time zone | Asia/Kabul |
| Language | Pashto, Dari |
| Currency | Afghan afghani (AFN, ؋) |
| Coordinates | 34.3419° N, 62.2031° E |
Overview
Herat, also written Harat or Hirat, is a major city in western Afghanistan and the capital of Herat Province and Herat District. The city had an estimated 673,273 settled residents in 2025, making it the largest city in the province and the third-largest city of Afghanistan, and it sits 920 metres above sea level in the fertile valley of the Hari River.
Herat is an ancient city on the Silk Road between West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia and East Asia, and it dates back to the Avestan period. It was traditionally known for its wine, and it became a great centre of Persian art and learning under the Timurids in the 15th century. Its historic sites include the Great Mosque of Herat, the Herat Citadel, the Musalla Complex and the Gawhar Shad Mausoleum.
Today Herat is a regional hub in the west of the country and the gateway to Iran and Turkmenistan, collecting billions of dollars in customs revenue. The roads from Herat to Iran, through the border town of Islam Qala, and to Turkmenistan, through Torghundi, are strategically important for Afghanistan and its neighbours.
What Herat is known for
- Great Mosque of Herat
- Herat Citadel
- Musalla Complex
- Silk Road history
- Gateway to Iran
- Persian culture
Landmarks
- Great Mosque of Herat
- Herat Citadel (Qala Ikhtyaruddin)
- Musalla Complex
- Gawhar Shad Mausoleum
- Shrine of Khwaja Abdullah Ansari
- Herat old city
- Hari River
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Herat?
About 673,000 people live in Herat (673,273 settled residents in 2025). That makes Herat the third-largest city in Afghanistan and the largest city in the west of the country.
What is Herat famous for?
Herat is famous as an ancient Silk Road city and a centre of Persian culture, and for the Great Mosque of Herat, one of the finest mosques in Afghanistan, and the Herat Citadel. It is also known as the gateway to Iran and Turkmenistan, collecting billions of dollars in customs revenue.
Where is Herat located?
Herat is in western Afghanistan, in the fertile valley of the Hari River, south of the Paropamisus Mountains and close to the borders with Iran and Turkmenistan. It is the capital of Herat Province and sits 920 metres above sea level. Its coordinates are 34.34° N, 62.20° E, and its time zone is Afghanistan Time.
Quick quiz
Three questions from the facts on this page. No sign-up, no score is saved.
Keep exploring
- Afghanistan — the country Herat is in
- Kabul — another city in Afghanistan
- Kandahar — another city in Afghanistan
- Mazar-i-Sharif — another city in Afghanistan
- All cities in Afghanistan
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.