Turkestan Province (Persian: ولایت ترکستان, romanized: Wilāyat-i Turkistān) was a province in Afghanistan.
Turkestan Province ولایت ترکستان (Persian) | |
---|---|
Province of Afghanistan | |
Afghan Turkestan Province in 1929 | |
Capital | Balkh (1850 - 1854) Takhtapul (1854 - 1869/74) Mazar-i-Sharif (1869/74 onwards) |
Demonym | Turkestani |
• Type | Province |
History | |
• Established | 1850 |
• Disestablished | Before 1946 |
Today part of | Afghanistan |
It was located in northern Afghanistan in the region still known as Afghan Turkestan. In 1890, Qataghan-Badakhshan Province was separated from Turkestan Province. It is present in an administrative map of 1929,[1] but was abolished by the time of the 1946 population census.[2]
From its founding in 1850 until 1854, Balkh was the capital of the province. However, the city of Balkh was deprecated and in ruins. As a result, in 1854 the capital was moved by Muhammad Afzal Khan to Takhtapul.[3][4] It would remain the capital until the governor Muhammad 'Alam Khan transitioned to Mazar-i-Sharif between July 1869 and 1873/74.[5]