Taloqan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Taloqan
تالقان
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 Taloqan
Location in Afghanistan
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| Country |  Afghanistan |
| Province | Takhar |
| Elevation | 876 m (2,874 ft) |
| Population
(2006)
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| • Total | 196,400 |
| Time zone | UTC+4:30 (Afghanistan Standard Time) |
Taloqan (Persian: تالقان, also spelled Taleqan or Taluqan) is an important city in northeastern Afghanistan. It is the capital city of Takhar Province. In 2006, about 196,400 people lived there. Taloqan is located in the Taluqan District. In 2021, the Taliban group took control of the province during their offensive.
History of Taloqan
The old part of Taloqan, near the river, was described by a famous traveler named Marco Polo in 1275 CE. He called it a "castle called Taikhan."
Marco Polo said it was a place with a big market for corn. He also mentioned that the land around it was very good for farming. To the south of the city were large, tall hills. These hills were made of very hard white salt. People from far away, even a 30-day journey, came to get this salt. They thought it was the purest salt in the world. It was so hard that people needed big iron hammers to break it. There was so much salt that it could supply all the countries on Earth.
In 1603, another European explorer named Bento de Góis visited Taloqan. He was traveling with a group from Kabul to Yarkand.
Recent Events in Taloqan
During the fight against the Soviet Army and later the Taliban, the headquarters of Ahmad Shah Massoud were in Taloqan. Taloqan was the last big city to be taken by the Taliban. This happened on September 5, 2000. Many civilians lost their lives during this time.
When the Taliban took the city, many people fled. They went to places like Imam Sahib and the Panjshir Valley. Soldiers from the Northern Alliance stopped the Taliban from moving further north and east. However, they could not take Taloqan back right away. In November 2001, Taloqan was freed by Northern Alliance soldiers. This happened after the United States invasion of Afghanistan.
The city was attacked again in 2021 during the 2021 Taliban offensive. This happened when United States troops were leaving Afghanistan.
On May 2, 2021, PiramQul Ziayi, a leader who opposed the Taliban in Takhar, was killed. On June 20, 2021, some elders from Takhar, including Mohibullah Noori, announced they would gather people to support the security forces. Mohibullah Noori led a group into Taloqan on June 26, 2021. They united commanders in Takhar to resist the Taliban.
The Taliban tried to capture the city in July 2021, but they were stopped. Later, during the Taliban offensive, Taloqan was captured by the Taliban on August 8, 2021.
Climate and Weather in Taloqan
Taloqan has a Mediterranean climate. This means it has hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. In Taloqan, there is more rain in winter than in summer.
The average temperature in Taloqan each year is about 14.6 degrees Celsius (58.3 degrees Fahrenheit). About 475 millimeters (18.7 inches) of rain falls each year.
| Climate data for Taloqan | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.2 (45.0) |
9.1 (48.4) |
15.4 (59.7) |
20.5 (68.9) |
26.0 (78.8) |
31.6 (88.9) |
34.1 (93.4) |
32.7 (90.9) |
28.1 (82.6) |
21.4 (70.5) |
13.8 (56.8) |
9.1 (48.4) |
20.8 (69.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 1.0 (33.8) |
2.9 (37.2) |
9.1 (48.4) |
14.6 (58.3) |
20.1 (68.2) |
25.4 (77.7) |
28.0 (82.4) |
26.5 (79.7) |
21.8 (71.2) |
15.2 (59.4) |
7.9 (46.2) |
2.6 (36.7) |
14.6 (58.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −4.6 (23.7) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
2.5 (36.5) |
7.6 (45.7) |
12.3 (54.1) |
16.5 (61.7) |
19.5 (67.1) |
18.5 (65.3) |
14.3 (57.7) |
8.6 (47.5) |
2.4 (36.3) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
7.6 (45.7) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 53 (2.1) |
68 (2.7) |
90 (3.5) |
96 (3.8) |
60 (2.4) |
7 (0.3) |
1 (0.0) |
0 (0) |
2 (0.1) |
17 (0.7) |
40 (1.6) |
41 (1.6) |
475 (18.8) |
See also
In Spanish: Taloqan para niños
