Quick answerMazar-i-Sharif is a city in Afghanistan, with 568,013 people inside the city limits in 2025. It is best known for the Blue Mosque (Shrine of Hazrat Ali), the Ancient Balkh and the White doves of the shrine. Its official languages are Pashto and Dari, and its currency is the Afghan afghani.
Mazar-i-Sharif is a city in northern Afghanistan, with an estimated 568,013 people in 2025. It is the capital and largest city of Balkh Province, famous for the Blue Mosque, the Shrine of Hazrat Ali, and for the ancient city of Balkh nearby.
Key facts
| Country | Afghanistan |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 568,013 (2025) |
| Elevation | 357 m above sea level |
| Time zone | Asia/Kabul |
| Language | Pashto, Dari |
| Currency | Afghan afghani (AFN, ؋) |
| Coordinates | 36.7° N, 67.1167° E |
Overview
Mazar-i-Sharif, also written Mazar-e-Sharif, is a city in northern Afghanistan and the capital and largest city of Balkh Province. The city had an estimated 568,013 residents in 2025, in 12 city districts, and it sits 357 metres above sea level, about 55 kilometres south of the Afghanistan-Uzbekistan border.
Mazar-i-Sharif is home to the Shrine of Hazrat Ali, the Blue Mosque, whose blue-tiled dome and minarets are the symbol of the city. The city has long been a place of pilgrimage because of its famous shrines, and it is also known for the white doves that live at the shrine. The ancient city of Balkh, about 25 kilometres to the north-west, was once a great centre of Buddhism and Zoroastrianism and one of the oldest cities in the region.
Today Mazar-i-Sharif is the main city of northern Afghanistan, linked by road with Hairatan on the Uzbek border, Kunduz to the east and Sheberghan to the west. It is home to Balkh University and to the Mawlana Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi International Airport, and it is a trading hub for the fertile plains of the north.
What Mazar-i-Sharif is known for
- Blue Mosque (Shrine of Hazrat Ali)
- Ancient Balkh
- White doves of the shrine
- Balkh University
- Zadian Minaret
- Takht-e Rostam
Landmarks
- Shrine of Hazrat Ali (Blue Mosque)
- Ancient city of Balkh
- Zadian Minaret
- Takht-e Rostam
- Mazar-i-Sharif old bazaar
- Mawlana Jalaluddin Mohammad Balkhi International Airport
- Balkh University
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Mazar-i-Sharif?
About 568,000 people live in Mazar-i-Sharif (568,013 in 2025). That makes Mazar-i-Sharif the fourth-largest city in Afghanistan and the largest city in the north of the country.
What is Mazar-i-Sharif famous for?
Mazar-i-Sharif is famous for the Shrine of Hazrat Ali, the Blue Mosque, whose blue-tiled dome and minarets are the symbol of the city. It is also known for the ancient city of Balkh nearby, once a great centre of Buddhism and Zoroastrianism, and for the white doves that live at the shrine.
Where is Mazar-i-Sharif located?
Mazar-i-Sharif is in northern Afghanistan, about 55 kilometres south of the border with Uzbekistan. It is the capital and largest city of Balkh Province and sits 357 metres above sea level. Its coordinates are 36.70° N, 67.12° E, and its time zone is Afghanistan Time.
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Keep exploring
- Afghanistan — the country Mazar-i-Sharif is in
- Kabul — another city in Afghanistan
- Kandahar — another city in Afghanistan
- Herat — 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.