Tang-e Gharu

Coordinates: 34°33′0″N 69°30′00″E / 34.55000°N 69.50000°E / 34.55000; 69.50000
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The Kabul–Jalalabad Road passes through the Tang-E Gharu gorge.

Tang-e Gharu, also known as Tang-e Gharo (Pashto: تنگ غارو), is a gorge and a mountain pass in the Hindu Kush mountain range of Kabul Province, Afghanistan.[1] The Kabul River passes through the gorge, flowing eastward.[2] The Kabul–Jalalabad Road runs through the gorge, parallel to the river.[3] Construction on the road began in the 1940s and was completed in the 1960s[3][4] replacing the ancient Lataband Pass mountain pass. Both the pass and the road are considered to be of major strategic importance, as they provide a connection to Pakistan and Russia.[5][6] Due to heavy usage during recent conflicts in Afghanistan and frequent traffic accidents, the pass and the surrounding areas have become heavily damaged and periodically closed off.[3][7]

Geology

The cliffs of Tang-e Gharu gorge are a blue-grey limestone, which was formed some 250 million years ago. However, the gorge itself is only about 2 million years old and was formed as a combination of water erosion from the river and the collapse of an underground river channel.[2]

References

34°33′0″N 69°30′00″E / 34.55000°N 69.50000°E / 34.55000; 69.50000