History of Kabul in Timeline

Kabul is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan, situated in the eastern part of the country within Kabul Province. With an estimated population of over 5.3 million, it is a major urban center. Administratively, Kabul is divided into five zones and 22 municipal districts. The primary languages spoken by the native population are Pashto and Persian Dari, with a distinct Kabuli accent.

1903: Establishment of Habibia High School

In 1903, the first modern high school, Habibia, was established in Kabul.

1911: British Clock Tower

Around 1911, a clock tower was built by the British to accompany the Dilkusha Palace in Kabul.

1916: Leather and textile industries developed

In Kabul in 1916, an established bazaar city, leather and textile industries developed.

1919: Independence announcement

In 1919, after the Third Anglo-Afghan War, King Amanullah Khan announced Afghanistan's independence in foreign affairs at Eidgah Mosque in Kabul.

1919: Column of Independence

The Minar-i-Istiqlal (Column of Independence) in Kabul was built in 1919 after the Third Afghan War.

1923: Kabul–Darulaman Tramway operation

In 1923, Kabul's only railway service, the Kabul–Darulaman Tramway, began operations.

1925: Expansion of built up area

The built up area has increased fourteen-fold since 1925.

1929: End of Tramway operation

In 1929 Kabul–Darulaman Tramway stopped operations.

1929: King Amanullah leaves Kabul

In 1929 King Amanullah left Kabul after a local uprising orchestrated by Habibullah Kalakani, but he was imprisoned and executed after nine months in power by King Nader Khan.

1932: Opening of Kabul University

Kabul University opened in 1932.

1933: King Nader Khan's assassination

In 1933, King Nader Khan was assassinated during an award ceremony in a school in Kabul.

1933: Zahir Shah takes power

When Zahir Shah took power in 1933, Kabul had the only 10 km of rail and the country had few internal telegraphs, phone lines or roads.

1937: Radio tower built

In 1937, a radio tower built in Kabul by the Germans provided communication with outlying villages.

1940: Kabul's Population

By 1940, Kabul had a population of approximately 120,000 people.

1945: Opening of Serena Hotel

In 1945, the Serena Hotel opened as the first Western-style luxury hotel in Kabul.

1955: Soviet Union credit

In 1955, the Soviet Union forwarded $100 million in credit to Afghanistan which financed public transportation, airports, a cement factory, a mechanised bakery, and a five-lane highway from Kabul to the Soviet border.

1962: Expanded built-up area

By 1962, Kabul's built-up area had increased to 68 km, an almost fourteen-fold increase since 1925.

1967: Inauguration of Kabul Zoo

Kabul Zoo was inaugurated in 1967, which was maintained with the help of visiting German zoologists.

1973: Lonely Planet calls Kabul a "tourist trap"

In 1973, Lonely Planet called Kabul an upcoming "tourist trap" as the nation's tourism industry expanded.

1976: Population of Kabul

In 1976, the population of Kabul was 337,715.

April 1978: Saur Revolution

On April 28, 1978, President Daoud and his family were assassinated in Kabul's Presidential Palace during the Saur Revolution.

1978: Kabul described before 1978 coup

Before the 1978 Marxist coup d'etat, Kabul was described as a pleasant city without visible slums, populated by imposing people.

1978: End of tranquility

In 1978, Kabul's period of tranquility ended with the Saur Revolution.

1978: Population Increase

In 1978, Kabul's population was around 500,000.

1978: Ghobar's writing

Mir Ghulam Mohammad Ghobar wrote in 1978 that in the Avesta (sacred book of Zoroastrianism), Kabul was known as Vaekereta, whereas the Greeks of antiquity referred to it as Ortospana.

February 1979: Electric Trolleybus System Launch

In February 1979, an electric trolleybus system began operating in Kabul. The system utilized a Škoda fleet manufactured by a Czechoslovakian company.

February 1979: Kidnapping and death of U.S. Ambassador Dubs

On February 14, 1979, the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, Adolph Dubs, was kidnapped on his way to work and killed during a rescue attempt at the Serena Hotel in Kabul.

December 1979: Soviet Union invades Afghanistan

On December 24, 1979, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, leading to Kabul's heavy occupation by Soviet Armed Forces.

1979: Migration to Israel after Soviet invasion

After the Soviet invasion in 1979, most of the remaining Jewish residents of Afghanistan, approximately 2,000 in number, left to migrate to Israel.

1979: Soviet military intervention

In 1979, the Soviet military intervened in Kabul, sparking a 10-year Soviet-Afghan War.

1979: Population of Kabul

In 1979, the population of Kabul was around 500,000.

February 1980: 3 Hut uprising in Kabul

In February 1980, a major uprising against the Soviet presence broke out in Kabul, leading to a night curfew that would remain in place for seven years.

July 1980: Assassinations of party members

By July 1980, as many as twelve PDPA party members were being assassinated on a daily basis in Kabul.

January 1981: Soviet Army stops patrolling Kabul

In January 1981, the Soviet Army stopped patrolling the city of Kabul.

December 1983: City converted into fortress

In December 1983, a Western correspondent revisiting Kabul described the city as being "converted into a fortress bristling with weapons".

October 1987: Mujahideen Car Bombing

In October 1987, a car bomb planted by a mujahideen group killed 27 people in Kabul.

April 1988: Truck Bomb During Saur Revolution Anniversary

On April 27, 1988, a truck bomb killed six people in Kabul during celebrations of the 10th anniversary of the Saur Revolution.

1988: Population Growth

By 1988, the population of Kabul had risen to approximately 1.5 million.

April 1992: Mujahideen Factions Enter Kabul

In April 1992, after the fall of Mohammad Najibullah's government, different mujahideen factions entered Kabul and formed a government under the Peshawar Accords, but Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's party refused to sign and started shelling the city.

1992: Two Jews remaining

As of 1992, there were believed to be two Jews remaining in Afghanistan, both living in a synagogue in Kabul.

1992: Intensified Bombardment Campaign

During the summer of 1992, Kabul suffered heavily under an intensified bombardment campaign between rival militias.

1992: End of Trolleybus Service

In late 1992, the trolleybus service in Kabul ceased operations due to warfare. Much of the copper overhead wires were looted.

1994: Temporary Halt to Bombardment

In late 1994, the bombardment of Kabul came to a temporary halt, and efforts were made to restore law and order.

September 1996: Taliban Seizes Kabul

On September 27, 1996, the Taliban seized Kabul and established the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, imposing strict Sharia law.

1996: City Devastation

By 1996, about 80 percent of Kabul was devastated and destroyed due to the 'Kabul Wars'.

1996: Taliban capture

In 1996, Kabul was captured by the Taliban.

2000: Rigveda composition

Between 2000 and 1500 BC, the Rigveda, one of the four canonical texts of Hinduism, refers to the Kabul River and a settlement called Kubha.

November 2001: Northern Alliance Captures Kabul

In November 2001, the Northern Alliance captured Kabul after the Taliban abandoned the city following an American invasion.

2001: Rapid Urbanisation

From 2001, Kabul became one of the fastest-growing cities in the world.

2003: Ethnic Distribution

In 2003, a National Geographic article indicated Kabul's population was 45% Tajik, 25% Hazaras and Sadat/Sayyid, 25% Pashtun, and minority ethnic groups included Qizilbash, Baloch, Uzbek, Turkmen, and Afghan Hindu.

2003: Increase in Dealerships

In 2003, there were 77 dealerships in Kabul.

2005: Restoration of Gardens of Babur

In 2005, the Gardens of Babur in Kabul were rebuilt or restored.

2005: Increase in City Districts

In 2005, the number of city districts in Kabul increased from 11 to 18.

2008: Security Shift from NATO to Afghan Forces

In 2008, responsibility for security in Kabul began to shift from NATO to Afghan forces.

2010: Further Expansion of City Districts

By 2010, the number of city districts in Kabul increased to 22 after incorporating Districts 14 and 19–22.

2010: Increase in Dealerships

By 2010, the number of dealerships in Kabul increased to over 550.

2010: Implementation of Ring of Steel

In 2010, a series of guarded checkpoints called the Ring of Steel was put into operation in Kabul.

2011: City Districts Table

The table below shows the 22 city districts and their settlements, with information about its land size and usage, accurate as of 2011.

2012: Kabul Ranked Fifth Fastest-Growing City

In 2012, Kabul was the fifth fastest-growing city in the world.

2013: Restoration of Mahmoud Khan Bridge Clock Tower

In 2013, the Mahmoud Khan Bridge clock tower was rebuilt or restored in Kabul.

2014: Population Growth

From 2001 to 2014, the population of Kabul grew fourfold.

2014: Kabul Urban Transport Efficiency Improvement Project

In 2014, the Kabul Urban Transport Efficiency Improvement Project, backed by the World Bank, was signed, leading to improvements in road conditions.

May 2017: Deadly Truck Bombing

In May 2017, Kabul experienced its deadliest attack, a truck bombing.

September 2017: Announcement of Pedestrian Overpass Construction

In September 2017, the head of the Kabul Municipality announced that 286 meters of pedestrian overpass footbridges would be built in eight busy areas.

2017: Hashmat Khan Lake Declared Protected Area

In 2017, the government declared Hashmat Khan Lake, a critical resting place for migrating birds, a protected area.

2018: Planned Bus Public Transport Service

In 2018, a new bus public transport service was planned to be opened in Kabul.

September 2019: Usage of D-Agree Platform

From September 2019, the D-Agree platform was used by Kabul Municipality to moderate over 300 city-related planning discussions.

2019: Digital Platform for Urban Planning

In 2019, the Nagoya Institute of Technology and the Kabul Municipality agreed to deploy D-Agree, a digital platform for urban planning, to promote public participation and consensus in Kabul's city planning process.

2020: Construction of Kabul Markaz Tower

In 2020, the Kabul Markaz Tower was built, becoming the city's first building to break the 100 m (330 ft) tall barrier.

March 2021: New City Bus Service Launched

In March 2021, a new city bus service was launched in Kabul, employing American IC Bus vehicles. This service included newly constructed bus stops throughout the city, beginning with five buses on one route with plans for expansion.