Babur's Garden: A Mughal Oasis in Kabul

Bagh-e Babur, also known as the Gardens of Babur, is a significant historical site in Kabul, Afghanistan, dating back to the early 16th century [4, 5, 6, 7, 11]. Founded by Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur, the first Mughal Emperor, the garden served as a tranquil retreat and eventually his final resting place [3, 5, 6, 7, 9]. Babur, a passionate gardener, personally designed and oversaw the creation of at least ten gardens in Kabul, with Bagh-e Babur being one of the earliest surviving Mughal gardens [5, 11].The garden is laid out across 11.5 hectares on the slopes of the Kuh-e Sher Darwaza mountain, southwest of Kabul's old city [5, 6, 7, 18]. Its design follows the classical charbagh pattern, featuring a series of rising terraces divided by a central watercourse [19]. The site is arranged into 15 terraces that run along an east-west axis [3, 5]. Babur's tomb is located on the fourteenth terrace [3]. Shah Jahan, known for commissioning the Taj Mahal, added a white marble mosque in 1647 on the terrace below the tomb [3, 5, 19].Over the centuries, Bagh-e Babur has undergone several transformations. In the 19th century, Amir Abdur Rahman Khan refurbished the gardens, adding a pavilion and a residence for his wife, Bibi Halima [3, 6, 7]. The garden was converted into a public park in the 1930s, with the addition of pools, reservoirs, and flower gardens [2, 3]. After years of conflict and neglect, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) undertook extensive restoration efforts, rebuilding the garden brick by brick and tree by tree [2, 6, 7, 19]. Today, Bagh-e Babur is a popular destination for both locals and tourists, attracting approximately one million visitors annually [7, 18]. Visitors can explore the landscaped gardens, visit Babur's tomb, and enjoy the panoramic views of Kabul [5, 6, 7, 21].