Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

Located in the capital city of Kabul, Chihil Sutun Palace is one of the historic places built by Afghan King Shah Zaman Sadozai in 1796.

The palace served as home for many Afghan kings and emirs.

However, it was severely damaged when the civil wars erupted in the 1970s among the Mujahideen following the fall of the government of Dr. Najibullah.

In 2018, the palace was repaired by the Aga Khan Development Network in cooperation with the German government.

The palace is considered one of the historic heritage sites of Afghanistan.

“It was one of the glorious palaces of its time. It was then used as a guest house, particularly during the era of (Emir) Abdul Rahman Khan and (Emir) Habibullah Khan,” said Sharifudeen Arash, manager of the palace.

Citizens said that cultural and historic heritage provide the symbols of a country’s history and culture and that they should be protected.

“The Chihil Sutun Palace is one of the historic heritages and one of the famous palaces. We come here to visit it,” said Nagina Sana, a Kabul resident.

“We come here to sightsee and for entertainment. It is a beautiful place and a historic ancient site,” said Serajuddin, a resident of Kabul.

The palace is registered as the ancient heritage sites of Afghanistan by the Ministry of Information and Culture.