Timeline of Herat

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Herat, Afghanistan.

Prior to 15th century

 * 500 BCE - Persian town in Aria established (approximate date).
 * 330 BCE - Artacoana captured by Alexander III of Macedon.
 * 167 BCE - Town becomes part of the Parthian Empire.
 * 127 BCE - Town becomes part of the Kushan Empire
 * 642 CE - Siege of Herat; Arabs in power.
 * 1042 - City besieged by Seljuq Tughril.
 * 1064 - Alp Arslan in power.
 * 1102 - Earthquake.
 * 1157 - The city was destroyed by an irruption of the Ghuzz, the predecessors of the modern Turkomans.
 * 1163 - Bobrinski Bucket produced in Herat.
 * 1175 - Ghurids in power.
 * 1197 - Conflict between blacksmiths' and coppersmiths' bazaars.
 * 1201 - Construction of new Friday Mosque begins.
 * 1221 - City sacked by Mongols.
 * 1244 - Shams al-Din Kurt in power.
 * 1300 - Herat Citadel reinforced.
 * 1364 - Earthquake.
 * 1380 - City taken by forces of Timur.

15th-19th centuries

 * 1405 - Capital of Timurid dynasty relocated to Herat from Samarkand.
 * 1410 - "Bazaars reconstructed."
 * 1425 - Tomb of Khwaja 'Abd Allah Ansari built at Gazurgah (near city).
 * 1438 - Gawhar Shad Mausoleum built.
 * 1448 - Siege of Herat (1448).
 * 1460s - "Royal Canal" built.
 * 1469 - Sultan Husayn Mirza Bayqarah in power.
 * 1482 - Ikhlasiyya (educational and charitable complex) built outside city (approximate date).
 * 1500 - Friday Mosque rebuilt.
 * 1507 - Uzbek Muhammad Shaybani in power.
 * 1510 - City taken by Safavid Shah Ismail; Shamlu Turkomans in power.
 * 1528 - Safavid Shah Tahmasp in power.
 * 1716 - Abdali Afghan revolt.
 * 1729 - Nader Shah in power.
 * 1732 - Afghan revolt suppressed.
 * 1750 - City becomes part of the Durrani Empire.
 * 1801 - City becomes independent.
 * 1807
 * July–August: City is besieged by Iran.
 * 1818
 * April: City incorporated into the Durrani Empire. Later that year the Durranis are kicked out of most of Afghanistan, Herat becomes their last stronghold.
 * 1837
 * 23 November: Siege of Herat by Persian forces begins.
 * 1842
 * Early 1842: Yar Muhammad Khan Alakozai deposes Kamran Shah and becomes the new ruler.
 * 1851
 * June 11: Sa'id Muhammad Khan in power.
 * 1852
 * March–May: City is briefly occupied by the Persians.
 * 1855
 * September 15: Muhammad Yusuf in power.
 * 1856
 * April: Persian siege of Herat begins.
 * October 25: Persians take the city of Herat.
 * 1857
 * September: Persian control of city ends per Treaty of Paris; Sultan Jan installed as ruler of Herat.
 * 1862
 * 27 July: City is besieged by the Muhammadzais.
 * 1863
 * 26 May: City taken by forces of Dost Mohammad Khan.
 * Mohammad Yaqub Khan in power.
 * 1880 - Abd al-Rahman Khan in power.
 * 1885 - Under the orders of the Amir, the Mosalla was destroyed.

20th century

 * 1922 / 1301 SH - Solar Hijri calendar officially adopted in Afghanistan.
 * 1925 - Herat National Museum established.
 * 1947 - Radio Kabul transmissions begin to reach Herat (approximate date).
 * 1960s - Kandahar-Herat highway constructed.
 * 1973 - Population: 108,750.
 * 1979
 * March: Uprising.
 * City bombed by Soviet forces.
 * 1988 - Population: 177,300 (estimate).
 * 1993 - Mines cleared.

21st century

 * 2010 - Population: 410,700.
 * 2016 - Population: 491,967.