Shahr-i-Ghulghulah means the City of Screams, and the name carries a story. In 1221, according to the chronicles, Genghis Khan's army besieged the fortress that crowned this red clay hill above the Bamiyan valley, and his grandson Mutugen was killed in the fighting. The enraged Khan ordered the city destroyed and its people killed, and the ruins have borne the name ever since. Historians argue over the details, but the broken walls and towers on the summit are real, and the whole conical hill, about 1.7 kilometres from Bamiyan town, is a crumbling maze of mud brick.
From the top, the view takes in the entire valley, with the ochre cliff and its empty niches on one side and the green fields along the river below. The hill commanded the route between the Hindu Kush passes and Central Asia, and the fortress was in use from the early Islamic centuries until the Mongol destruction. The slopes are steep and unstable, and the paths are loose. UNESCO included the site in its 2003 listing of the cultural landscape and archaeological remains of the Bamiyan valley, alongside the Buddhist caves and the older fortress of Shahr-i-Zohak.
The journey to this valley is a serious one. The road from Kabul runs over passes at around 2,700 to over 3,000 metres, on surfaces that change from tarmac to rough gravel, and weather can bring snow or sudden rain. Any visit to Afghanistan requires careful reading of current official advice, and a rider would need local guidance, correct permissions and a realistic view of what is possible. The valley itself is quiet, and the mountain light at sunrise on the cliffs is unforgettable.
Practically, services are modest. Bamiyan town has a few guesthouses and restaurants serving kebabs, bread, rice and green tea, and a bazaar for supplies. Fuel is limited, so arrive with a full tank and carry extra. At 2,500 metres, the air is thin, and visitors may feel breathless on the climb up the hill, so go slowly and take water. Mines have been cleared from the main paths but not from every slope, so stay on tracks and follow local advice. Spring, with green fields and clear air, and early autumn are the best seasons.