Charikar
Charikar (Persian: چاریکار), officially renamed to Imam Abu Hanifa (Persian: امام ابو حنیفه) or Imam Azam (Persian: امام اعظم, Persian pronunciation: [ɪˈmɑːm azam]), is the main town of the Koh Daman Valley. It is the capital of Charikar District, and the capital of Parwan Province in northern Afghanistan. It has a population of around 171,200, which is majority Tajik populated. The town was officially renamed in December 2022 by the Taliban to honor the Sunni Muslim theologian and jurist Abu Hanifa, who is also sometimes called Imam Azam ("The Great Imam") and was the founder of the Hanafi school of Islamic law.
Imam Abu Hanifa
امام ابو حنیفه Charikar Imam Azam | |
|---|---|
City | |
A street in Charikar during the War in Afghanistan, 2007 | |
Imam Abu Hanifa Location in Afghanistan | |
| Coordinates: 35°0′47″N 69°10′8″E | |
| Country | Afghanistan |
| Province | Parwan Province |
| District | Charikar District |
| Elevation | 1,600 m (5,200 ft) |
| Population (2015) | |
| • City | 96,093 |
| • Urban | 96,039 |
| Time zone | UTC+4:30 |
The city lies on the Afghan Ring Road, 69 kilometres (43 mi) from Kabul along the route to the northern provinces. Travelers would pass the city when traveling to Mazar-i-Sharif, Kunduz or Puli Khumri. Despite the proximity to Kabul, slightly more than half of the land is not built-up. Of the built-up land, almost equal parts are residential (37%) and vacant plots (32%), with a grid network of road coverage amounting to 19% of built-up land area, as of 2015. The city is at the gateway to the Panjshir Valley, where the Shamali plains meet the foothills of the Hindu Kush, and is known for its pottery and high-quality grapes.
As of 2015, the city has a total population of 96,039 people and 10,671 dwellings. It has four police districts (nahias) and a total land area of 3,025 hectares (11.68 sq mi).