3-057-158 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Bala Hissar and Palace, Kabul, Afghanistan, 1879. A panoramic view across two photographs, with a range of mountains in the distance, and a stretch of wasteland in the foreground. This was the residence of the Kabul ruler and his court. It was destroyed on order of the British General Roberts in 1878-1879, during the second Afghan War, and was eventually reconstructed at a later date. The word Bala Hissar refers to a citadel or fortress within a walled town on top of a ridge or hill. Most old Afghan cities had one, serving as residences for rulers.