Gardez

The capital of Afghanistan's Paktia Province, Gardez sits in a broad alpine valley surrounded by the Sulaiman Mountains, its name derived from the Middle Persian for "mountain fortress." The city has served as a strategic crossroads throughout history — observation posts attributed to Alexander the Great still stand on hilltops at the city's edge — and its old bazaar, established in 1943, remains a commercial hub for a wide area of eastern Afghanistan. Paktia University and Gardez Airport are both located in the northern part of the city.

• Population103,601
• Nearest water4.1 km
• Nearest mountain2.4 km