Taloqan

File:Khwarezmshahs jital 1200-1220 Taliqan.jpg (1200–1220).]]

The old city to the west on the riverside was described by Marco Polo in 1275 CE as:

:"a castle called Taikhan, where there is a great corn-market, and the country round is fine and fruitful. The hills that lie to the south of it are large and lofty. They all consist of white salt, extremely hard, with which the people for a distance of thirty days' journey round, come to provide themselves, for it is esteemed the purest that is found in the world. It is so hard, that it can be broken only with great iron hammers. The quantity is so great that all the countries of the earth might be supplied from thence."{{cite book |last= Dupree|first= Nancy Hatch|title= An Historical Guide to Afghanistan|orig-year= 1st Edition: 1970|edition= 2nd Edition, Revised and Enlarged|year= 1977|publisher= Afghan Tourist Organization}}

Taloqan had earlier come under Mongol control during the campaigns of Genghis Khan in the early 13th century. Following the fall of Balkh and the destruction of other Khwarazmian cities, the Mongols besieged and captured Taloqan, reportedly massacring its inhabitants as part of their broader campaign to subdue Khwarazmian resistance.

In 1603, Taloqan ("Talhan") was visited by another European explorer, Bento de Góis, who was traveling with a caravan from Kabul to Yarkand (then the capital of Kashgaria)."The Journey of Benedict Goës from Agra to Cathay" - Henry Yule's translation of the relevant chapters of De Christiana expeditione apud Sinas, with detailed notes and an introduction. In: {{cite book |first=Sir Henry |last=Yule (translator and editor) |publisher=Printed for the Hakluyt society |year=1866 |title=Cathay and the way thither: being a collection of medieval notices of China. Issue 37 of Works issued by the Hakluyt Society |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KzEMAAAAIAAJ |pages=558–559 |access-date=2016-10-23 |archive-date=2016-07-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160706003056/https://books.google.com/books?id=KzEMAAAAIAAJ |url-status=live }}

The mujahideen headquarters of Ahmad Shah Massoud were located in Taloqan during his campaign against the Soviet Army and the Taliban. Taloqan was the last major city to fall to the Taliban, on 5 September 2000,{{cite web|url=https://www.refworld.org/docid/3c84d9a14.html|title=U.S. Department of State Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2001 - Afghanistan|publisher=United States Department of State|date=4 March 2002|access-date=2 October 2020|archive-date=9 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009054122/https://www.refworld.org/docid/3c84d9a14.html|url-status=live}} after a siege which claimed the lives of hundreds of civilians.{{cite news|url= http://www.e-ariana.com/ariana/eariana.nsf/7eca40d3d348841987256b79007d1cb8/05a2b19f9a3171e987256c4a005c8f1a?OpenDocument|title= Amid the ruins of war, Afghans tread warily|last= Filipov|first= David|date= 2002-10-06|publisher= The Boston Globe|access-date= 2007-12-19|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090805073818/http://www.e-ariana.com/ariana/eariana.nsf/7eca40d3d348841987256b79007d1cb8/05a2b19f9a3171e987256c4a005c8f1a?OpenDocument|archive-date= 2009-08-05}} A bloody capture by the Taliban also triggered a mass exodus in the population, with civilians fleeing towards Imam Sahib and the Panjshir Valley. Northern Alliance soldiers managed to stop the Taliban advance to the north and to the east of the city, but weren't able to retake it. Taloqan was liberated in November 2001 by Northern Alliance soldiers following the United States invasion of Afghanistan.

The city was attacked during the 2021 Taliban offensive (which coincided with the withdrawal of United States troops).

On May 2, 2021, PiramQul Ziayi, the most influential anti-Taliban figure in Takhar, was assassinated in Rustaq district.[https://8am.af/eng/the-collapse-of-the-anti-taliban-resistance-obstacle-beyond-kokcha-who-was-piramqul-ziayi-and-how-was-he-killed/]

Following the fall of several districts of Takhar to the Taliban,{{cite news | url=https://pajhwok.com/2021/06/20/taliban-overrun-4-districts-of-takhar-say-sources/ | title=Taliban overrun 4 districts of Takhar, say sources | date=20 June 2021 | last1=Kakar | first1=Ajmal }} on June 20, 2021, a group of Takhar elders including Mohibullah Noori, one of Takhar elders, and Ashraf Ani, a member of Parliament, announced at a press conference in Kabul that they will send a group to mobilize people resistant in support of security forces in Takhar. Mohibullah Noori led the group, which entered the Taloqan City on June 26, 2021 and united the Takhar commanders to resist against Taliban.[https://x.facebook.com/anews/videos/director-of-reintegration-commission-at-high-council-for-national-reconciliation/540783790427926/?m_entstream_source=video_home&player_suborigin=feed&player_format=permalink]

The Taliban tried to take the city in July 2021, however the attack was repulsed.{{cite news |date=11 July 2021 |title=Afghan forces repel Taliban assault on provincial capital, governor says |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-pulls-officials-afghanistans-kandahar-taliban-widens-control-2021-07-11/ |access-date=8 August 2021}} Later, during Taliban offensive Haji Agha Gol Qatghani was killed and Khair Mohammad Teymour injured and all forces, including provincial officials, retreated to the Versaj district. Taloqan was captured by the Taliban on 8 August 2021.{{Cite news |last=Kakar |first=Ajmal |date=2021-08-08 |title=Most areas of Taloqan fall to Taliban: Sources |url=https://pajhwok.com/2021/08/08/most-areas-of-taloqan-fall-to-taliban-sources/ |access-date=2021-08-08 |language=en-GB}}

The testament of the Islamic prophet Muhammad indicates that the city will play a major role regarding the Mahdi. A narration by chain, Imam Baqir states: "Allah Almighty has a treasure in Talaqan which is of neither gold nor silver, but consists of twelve thousand (people), having 'Ahmad, Ahmad' for their slogan. They will be led by a young Hashemite man riding a gray mule and wearing a red headband. It is as if I can see him crossing the Euphrates. Should you hear of his coming, rush to him even if you have to crawl over the snow{{Cite web |url=http://sahabatnabi.0catch.com/imammahdi3.htm |title=Al Mahdi |access-date=2011-08-13 |archive-date=2012-03-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120330174931/http://sahabatnabi.0catch.com/imammahdi3.htm |url-status=live }} Another narration states: "Talaqan is a place of treasures of Allah. These treasures are not of gold and silver, but consist of people who have recognised Allah as they should have."Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, al-Burhan fee Alamat al-Mahdi Akhir az-Zaman, p. 59)

Taloqan has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification Csa). In winter there is more rainfall than in summer. The average annual temperature in Taloqan is {{convert|14.6|°C|1}}. About {{convert|475|mm|2|abbr=on}} of precipitation falls annually.

{{Weather box

|width = auto

|location = Taloqan

|metric first = Y

|single line = Y

|Jan high C = 7.2

|Feb high C = 9.1

|Mar high C = 15.4

|Apr high C = 20.5

|May high C = 26.0

|Jun high C = 31.6

|Jul high C = 34.1

|Aug high C = 32.7

|Sep high C = 28.1

|Oct high C = 21.4

|Nov high C = 13.8

|Dec high C = 9.1

|Jan mean C = 1.0

|Feb mean C = 2.9

|Mar mean C = 9.1

|Apr mean C = 14.6

|May mean C = 20.1

|Jun mean C = 25.4

|Jul mean C = 28.0

|Aug mean C = 26.5

|Sep mean C = 21.8

|Oct mean C = 15.2

|Nov mean C = 7.9

|Dec mean C = 2.6

|Jan low C = -4.6

|Feb low C = -3.2

|Mar low C = 2.5

|Apr low C = 7.6

|May low C = 12.3

|Jun low C = 16.5

|Jul low C = 19.5

|Aug low C = 18.5

|Sep low C = 14.3

|Oct low C = 8.6

|Nov low C = 2.4

|Dec low C = -2.8

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 53

|Feb precipitation mm = 68

|Mar precipitation mm = 90

|Apr precipitation mm = 96

|May precipitation mm = 60

|Jun precipitation mm = 7

|Jul precipitation mm = 1

|Aug precipitation mm = 0

|Sep precipitation mm = 2

|Oct precipitation mm = 17

|Nov precipitation mm = 40

|Dec precipitation mm = 41

|source = {{cite web

|url = https://en.climate-data.org/asia/afghanistan/takhar/taloqan-3907/

|title = Climate: Taloqan

|publisher = Climate-Data.org

|access-date = November 2, 2018

|archive-date = April 16, 2019

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190416081530/https://en.climate-data.org/asia/afghanistan/takhar/taloqan-3907/

|url-status = live

}}

}}

• Taluqan District
• Taloqan Airport
• Cities of Afghanistan
• Takhar Province
• Tokharistan

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/Afghanistan/East/Takhar/Taloqan/ Photos of Taloqan on TrekEarth.com]

{{AfghanistanLargestCities}}

{{Takhar Province}}

Category:Populated places in Takhar Province

Category:Cities in Afghanistan

Category:Provincial capitals in Afghanistan

Category:Populated places with period of establishment missing