page_title: Gardez
hierarchical_section_title: Gardez
caption_attribution_description: English: The old fortress in Gardez City. Originally built by the armies of Alexander the Great, and subsequently rebuilt by many of the invading armies to pass through Gardez, including the British and Soviets. The fortress, colloquially known as 'Castle Greyskull' by American troops in the area, is currently home to an Afghan National Army detachment. U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. John Severns
context_page_description: Gardēz is the capital of the Paktia Province of Afghanistan. The population of the city was estimated to be ca. 10,000 in the 1979 census and was estimated to be 70,000 in 2008. The population is overwhelmingly Pashtun. The city of Gardez is located at the junction between two important roads that cut through a huge alpine valley. Surrounded by the mountains and deserts of the Hindu Kush, which boil up from the valley floor to the north, east and west, it is the axis of commerce for a huge area of eastern Afghanistan and has been a strategic location for armies throughout the country's long history of conflict. Observation posts built by Alexander the Great are still crumbling on the hilltops just outside the city limits.
  the city of Gardez has a population of 70,641. it has 13 districts and a total land area of 6,174 hectares. The total number of dwellings in this city are 7,849.
context_section_description: Gardēz (Pashto: ګردېز‎) is the capital of the Paktia Province of Afghanistan. The population of the city was estimated to be ca. 10,000 in the 1979 census and was estimated to be 70,000 in 2008. The population is overwhelmingly Pashtun. The city of Gardez is located at the junction between two important roads that cut through a huge alpine valley. Surrounded by the mountains and deserts of the Hindu Kush, which boil up from the valley floor to the north, east and west, it is the axis of commerce for a huge area of eastern Afghanistan and has been a strategic location for armies throughout the country's long history of conflict. Observation posts built by Alexander the Great are still crumbling on the hilltops just outside the city limits.
  the city of Gardez has a population of 70,641 (in 2015). it has 13 districts and a total land area of 6,174 hectares (23.84 sq mi). The total number of dwellings in this city are 7,849.
caption: The Bala Hesar fortress in the center of Gardez City
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