20th century After King
Amanullah Khan and Queen
Soraya Tarzi's return from Europe in 1928, Amanullah brought in foreign experts to redesign Kabul. At that time, at the entrance of Paghman, they created a
European-style monumental gate similar to but smaller than the
Arc de Triomphe in
Paris, France, which was similarly called the
Taq-e Zafar (
Arch of Victory). Originally a small village at the bottom of the
Hindu Kush, Paghman turned into a holiday retreat with villas and chalets as well as the summer capital. Its wide avenues contained
fir,
poplar and
nut trees which flew past the arch, villas and a golf course. It was a popular place for the wealthy and the
aristocrats to visit. The new royal gardens were opened to the public under the proviso—as a matter of reform—that western dress was adopted there, as in the royal residential areas of nearby Kabul. On September 1, 1928, King Amanullah convoked the
Loya Jirga to Paghman to the puzzlement of many delegates, who found themselves at odds with the dress-code. On September 7, 1928, the Hazrat of Shor Bazaar—an influential political figure in Kabul—presented the king with a petition signed by some 400 religious leaders opposing many of Amanullah's reforms. This action led to the arrest of the Hazrat, the execution of some of his followers and finally the
rebellion of 1929 led by Ameer Habibullah Kalakani, that overthrew the king. The gardens eventually became a popular place for local and foreign tourists. Wealthy Kabulites owned
summer homes there who employed servants and maids. During the
Soviet–Afghan War in the 1980s, Paghman was a major battleground and suffered from bombardment from both the Soviet-backed government and the
mujahideen rebels. Most buildings were destroyed and residents had fled. Little remained of the prosperous Gardens, save for the remains of the Arc de Triomphe style arch, which has had its top blown off.
21st century main mosque in Paghman Following the formation of the
Karzai administration, the Arch was reconstructed and was completed by May 2005. Other damaged parts of the former Gardens were also rebuilt. It once again became a popular touristic site, and is popular with residents of Kabul. There was further development in the 2010s. In 2012, 1,000 families in the Paghman district received electricity. The power was distributed to families in the Pracha village of Pashaee valley after the installation of three 1,000 kilovolt
transformers. The electricity was supplied to people from the Mahipar Dam in the
Surobi district at the cost of 35 million AFN (US$622,443). In 2014, a newly built palace, the
Paghman Hill Castle, was opened to the public. The palace's surroundings also consists of thousands of newly planted trees as well as a
Buzkashi field, a waterfall and other attractions. The palace's interior is decorated with traditional handmade
Afghan carpets and other traditional material. It was planned to be used for major festivals. ==Geography==