How to Pronounce Herat

Meaning and Context

Herat, a major urban center and the capital of Herat Province in western Afghanistan, stands as a living monument to the region's layered history and profound cultural heritage. Strategically located near the borders of Iran and Turkmenistan, its position on the ancient Silk Road established it as a crucial nexus for trade, ideas, and artistic exchange for centuries, earning it epithets like "the Pearl of Khorasan." The city's skyline is dominated by its magnificent Friday Mosque (Masjid-i Jami), a stunning example of Islamic architecture whose construction began under the Ghurids in 1200 CE and was later expanded by the Timurid Empire, under whose patronage Herat flourished as a renowned center of Persian art, literature, and science. Landmarks such as the Herat Citadel (Qala Ikhtyaruddin) and the Musalla Complex with its surviving minarets further testify to its historical significance. Today, Herat remains a vital economic hub for western Afghanistan, though it faces modern challenges while striving to preserve its unparalleled architectural and cultural legacy.

Common Mistakes and Alternative Spellings

The standard and correct spelling for the city is Herat. A common alternate spelling seen in historical and some modern contexts is Harāt, which uses a macron to indicate the long 'a' sound, reflecting a more precise transliteration from the Persian (هرات). Frequent misspellings and typos include "Heart" (a simple phonetic error), "Heret," and "Hirat." In some older European texts, one might encounter archaic spellings like "Heri" or "Heraat." It is also important to distinguish the city's name from the province of the same name, Herat Province, of which it is the capital. When searching for information, using the correct "Herat" is essential for accurate results, though search engines may often autocorrect the common typo "Heart" to the city.

Example Sentences

For any student of Islamic architecture, a visit to the turquoise-tiled Friday Mosque in Herat is an essential pilgrimage.

During the 15th century, Herat became the dazzling capital of the Timurid Renaissance, attracting poets, painters, and scholars from across Central Asia.

The strategic importance of Herat, often called the "Gateway to Iran," has made it a contested city throughout Afghanistan's long history.

Modern Herat serves as a bustling commercial crossroads, with trade routes extending into neighboring Turkmenistan and Iran.

Many of the intricate tileworks on Herat's historical monuments were meticulously restored in the latter half of the 20th century.

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