Mazari Sharif

The name "Mazar-e Sharif" means "Noble Shrine", a reference to the large, blue-tiled sanctuary and mosque in the center of the city known as theShrine of Hazrat Alior theBlue Mosque.Mazar-i-Sharif orMazar-e-Sharifis thethird-largest city of Afghanistan.It is the capital ofBalkh provinceand is linked by highways withKunduzin the east,Kabulin the southeast, Heratin the west and Uzbekistanin the north. Mazar-e Sharif, along with Herat,Jalalabadin the east andKandaharin the south, makes Afghanistan an important strategic location in Asia. The city also serves as one of the many tourist attractions because of its famous shrines as well as theMuslimandHellenisticarcheological sites.