Page 234

185 About four furlongs to the north of these grounds stand the buildings of the Ministry of Defence, the Military Hospital and the Central Customs Office, called Gumruk. The visitor on entering the city has to proceed straight to the Customs Office to get his luggage examined. Between the Ministry of Defence and the Customs Office stands another Column. This is the Column of Independence, "Munar-i-Istiqlal", erected in 1919, after the termination of the Third Anglo-Afghan War to commemorate the brilliant victory of the late King Mohammad Nadir Shah, then the Sipah-Salar (Commander-in-Chief), of the Afghan forces. Beyond the Column, at the distance of three furlongs, lies the Arg (the Royal Citadel), the Palace of Dilkusha, and the Salamkhana (the Hall of Audience), the offices of the Prime Ministry, the Foreign Office, and the new city, now called Sherpur and Karta-i-Wali. South of the Arg extends the old city, divided into two parts by the river Kabul. The old city is beginning to show signs of modernization and is being extended in all directions. It is estimated that with-in the next few years the city of Kabul will cover an area of no less than 60 square miles. At present, it is divided into five prominent parts : (1) the old city, pooled in a shallow depression at the foot of the Sherdawaza Hill, which dominates it from the south : (2) Sherpur extending north-west to Kolola-Pushta and Wazirabad; (3) Nawe Kabul (or New Kabul), which is being built in the beautiful Chardeh Valley ; (4) Shah-i-Shahid, the eastern extremity of the city, (5) Karta-i-Wali lies north of the old city. Kabul, the seat of the Afghan Government, is a great commercial and educational centre. Modern means of trans-portation has brought it within easy reach of all parts of the country. Owing to its advantageous position, where routes from