Kunduz

Kunduz, also written as Qunduz, is a city in northern Afghanistan. It is the capital of Kunduz Province and has an estimated population of 413,996 people as of September 2025. Mawlavi Gul Mohammad Elyas is the mayor of the city.

The city has a domestic airport and an industrial park. There are also public parks, markets, hospitals, mosques, universities, guesthouses, and restaurants. Kunduz University is located in the middle part of the city.

Kunduz lies in the historical Tokharistan region of Bactria, near where the Kunduz River meets the Khanabad River. The city is connected by roads to Imam Sahib to the north, Taloqan to the east, Baghlan to the south, Mazar-i-Sharif to the west, and Sher Khan Bandar to the northwest. Many foreign tourists from Tajikistan pass through Kunduz.

Etymology

Kunduz can also be spelled as Kundûz, Qonduz, Qondûz, Konduz, Kondûz, Kondoz, or Qhunduz. People think the city's name comes from an old Persian phrase, kohan dež, which means "old/ancient fort".

Geography

Further information: Geography of Afghanistan

Kunduz is found in the northern part of Afghanistan, close to the country of Tajikistan. It sits at a height of 351 meters above sea level and is surrounded by large farms. This city is important because it links many other cities and towns in Afghanistan. The city is divided into about 8 districts and covers an area of 112 square kilometers.

Kunduz has a climate with hot summers and cool winters. Rain is rare, except between January and April, when it often rains. The summers are usually dry with very little rain.

History

Further information: History of Afghanistan

Kunduz is thought to be the location of an ancient city called Drapsaka. It was an important place for learning about Buddhism and was very successful during the 3rd century AD.

The city was once known as Aornos and later as Walwalij or Varvaliz. The name changed to Kuhandiz during the time of the Timurid Empire before the 16th century.

In the 18th century, the area became part of the Durrani Empire. Kunduz was the capital of an Uzbek Khanate that grew very large under Mohammad Murad Beg. After Murad Beg died, the Khanate became weaker and was taken over by the Emirate of Afghanistan in 1859.

In the early 1900s, many Tajiks and Uzbeks moved to northern Afghanistan after their homes were taken over. Under Sher Khan Nashir, Kunduz grew very wealthy because of the Spinzar Cotton Company, which still operates today. Kunduz is known for its farming, growing wheat, rice, millet, and other crops.

21st century

Kunduz was captured by the Taliban in 1997 but was taken back by forces supported by the United States in 2001. There were many battles in the city over the years. In 2021, the Taliban took control of Kunduz again during their offensive across Afghanistan.

Demographics

Further information: Demographics of Afghanistan

The city of Kunduz has about 414,000 people. Most of them are Pashtuns, but there are also Uzbeks, Tajiks, Arabs, and a few other groups. The Pashtuns became the largest group after they moved to northern Afghanistan in the late 1800s.

The Arabs in Kunduz speak Dari and Pashto, the two main languages of Afghanistan, even though they come from tribes that originally lived in the Arabian Peninsula. They still feel strongly connected to their Arab roots, which may go back to when Arab tribes moved to the area many centuries ago.

Economy

Further information: Economy of Afghanistan

The city of Kunduz makes a living from agriculture, trade, transport, and tourism. It has a domestic airport and a small industrial park. Many people from Kunduz travel to work in Kabul and other cities in Afghanistan.

Sports

Further information: Sport in Afghanistan

The most popular sports in Kunduz are cricket, football, futsal, volleyball and buzkashi.

Professional sports teams from Kunduz

Stadiums

• Kunduz Cricket Ground
• Kunduz Football Stadium

Notable people

Kunduz has been home to many well-known people. Sher Khan Nasher was a politician and entrepreneur. Sayed Noorullah Murad served as a politician, military commander, and scholar. Gulbudin Hekmatyar was a politician and a former commander in the Afghan mujahideen. Hamidullah Yousafzai is a football player who played for the Afghanistan national football team. Javed Ahmadi is a cricket player for the Afghanistan national cricket team. Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi was the former speaker of the Afghan Parliament. Farhad Darya is a famous Afghan singer.