The City of Screams

I showed up on the right day, apparently. Friday is the one day off we get each week, our weekend, as it were. Friday morning gets started, nice and easy, with some incredible omelettes and fresh berry pancakes fixed up the night before by some of the officers, as a treat for us and a way to relax for them. This is all right! After a bit of volleyball (they've set up the net outside my front door, it's not like I can get away from it -- besides, volleyball is one of the few sports where I can honestly say I don't suck), I get invited for a friendly trek up to Golgola. Now, understand, elevation here in Bamyan is already at 8500 feet. I have spent the better part of my life living below sea level (more on that later). Putting one foot in front of the other feels like an accomplishment as it is. Now I'm climbing? To quote Peckinpah: "Let's go." "Why not."


We jump in the trucks and head of to Golgola, the City of Screams. With a name like that, you expect a story, right? You won't be disappointed. Golgola constitutes the ruins of a fort built who knows when, but it was well built. Towering over most of the valley, no one could conquer it, at least that's what its Shansabani defenders thought. When Genghis Khan swept into the valley in 1221, the fort lived up to that reputation, at least at first. Not even Genghis Khan could take it. What was the fort's ultimate downfall? The scourge of society, teenagers. I'm kidding -- relax. It is true, however, that the Shansabani king's daughter, Leila Khatun, miffed that Dad did not like her latest beau (or only beau -- probably dating was not as free and easy as it can be today), betrayed the city and revealed to Kahn the location of an underground spring supplying water to the defenders. Without water, it was only a matter of time. Eventually, Genghis Khan took over the fortress. Leila's reward for her info? Genghis Khan executed her for deceiving her father. There is an object lesson there for somebody, but as I don't have teenagers to deal with myself yet, I'll just let the history stand on its own. (Thanks to Kabul Caravan, http://www.kabulcaravan.com/bamiyan.php for providing that bit of background.)

Is this where the fort gets the name the City of Screams? Not entirely, but it is related. Another story notes that Genghis Khan's favorite grandson caught an arrow during campaigns in the valley, but did not catch it with his hands. Oops. Genghis showed his displeasure by putting the entire valley to the sword, almost 150,000 people. From there, the name sticks, at least in my mind -- Shahr-e Golgola, 'City of Screams'.


I was worried that the climb was going to eat my lunch. Actually, it was pretty easy. Ten minutes up, and we're there! It's a great view -- you can see almost everything from there, the remnants of the Buddhas (you'll get that blog at some point in the future), Red City, some decently spectacular mountains, not bad at all. What surprised me, though, is all the GREEN I see. Verdant pastures are definitely in fashion. (Not sure why, but this combination of crumbling architecture and thousands of years old subsistence agriculture gets me thinking in biblical terms.) 2005 brought record floods to Bamyan, but they also broke a 6-year drought, so the harvests of wheat and potatoes seem to be pretty respectable.

The only cautious reminder that we are in Afghanistan. We have been told not to stray from the path, under any circumstances -- land mines are all over the fort. (As are areas around the Buddhas, Red City, and other potential tourist attractions. Whether it was the Soviets or Hezb-e-Wahdat, or the Taliban, whoever left these had a calculated evil streak). Other than that, however, a great way to wrap up a picturesque first day in Bamyan.