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{{short description|Mountain range in Afghanistan and Pakistan}} | {{short description|Mountain range in Afghanistan and Pakistan}} | ||
{{Infobox mountain | {{Infobox mountain | ||
| name = Sulaiman | | name = Sulaiman Mountains | ||
| other_name = | | other_name = {{langx|Ur|{{nq|سليمان پہاڑی سلسلہ}}}}; [[Pashto]]: د سلیمان غرونہ; [[Balochi language|Balochi]]: {{nq|کوهِ سليمان}} | ||
| photo = NEO sulaiman big.jpg | | photo = NEO sulaiman big.jpg | ||
| photo_caption = Satellite image of a part of the Sulaiman Range | | photo_caption = Satellite image of a part of the Sulaiman Range | ||
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| label_position = left | | label_position = left | ||
| listing = | | listing = | ||
| location = [[Zabul Province|Zabul]], [[Kandahar Province|Kandahar]] and [[Loya Paktia]], [[Afghanistan]] | | location = [[Zabul Province|Zabul]], [[Kandahar Province|Kandahar]] and [[Loya Paktia]], [[Afghanistan]], northern [[Balochistan]], south western [[Punjab]] and [[Federally Administered Tribal Areas|FATA]], [[Pakistan]] | ||
| range = [[Hindu Kush]] | | range = [[Hindu Kush]] | ||
| coordinates = {{coord|30|30|N|70|10|E|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | | coordinates = {{coord|30|30|N|70|10|E|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | ||
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| embedded = | | embedded = | ||
| area_km2 = 6475 | | area_km2 = 6475 | ||
| area_ref = | | area_ref = | ||
}} | }} | ||
The '''Sulaiman Mountains''' | The '''Sulaiman Mountains Range''' is a north–south extension of the southern [[Hindu Kush]] mountain system in western [[Pakistan]] and eastern [[Afghanistan]]. They rise to form the eastern edge of the [[Iranian plateau]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Akroyd |first=C. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SH-QBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT24 |title=Pakistan |date=2014 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-1-63355-947-9}}</ref> They extend from the [[Kandahar Province|Kandahar]], [[Zabul Province|Zabul]] and [[Paktia Province|Paktia]] provinces of Afghanistan across [[Waziristan]] and [[Kurram District|Kurram]] districts of [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], northern [[Balochistan (Pakistan)|Balochistan]], and southwestern [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]] in Pakistan. In Punjab the mountains extend into the [[Dera Ghazi Khan District|Dera Ghazi Khan]], [[Taunsa District|Taunsa]] and [[Rajanpur District|Rajanpur]] districts, located west of the [[Indus River]] on the boundary with Balochistan. Bordering the mountains to the east are the plains of the Indus River valley, and to the north are the arid highlands of the Central Hindu Kush whose heights extend up to {{cvt|3383|m}}.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Khan|first=F. K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2_xtAAAAMAAJ |title=A Geography of Pakistan: Environment, People and Economy |date=1991|publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-577411-5 |place=Oxford}}</ref> The total area on which this range spans around {{cvt|6475|km2}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Koh-e-Suleman {{!}} District Dera Ghazi Khan |url=https://dgkhan.punjab.gov.pk/tribal_area |access-date=2023-06-06 |work=Punjab Government}}</ref> Together with the [[Kirthar Mountains]] on the border between Balochistan and [[Sindh Province]], the Sulaiman Mountains form the Sulaiman-Kirthar geologic province.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/bul/2208/C/|title=USGS Bulletin 2208-C: Sembar Goru/Ghazij Composite Total Petroleum System, Indus and Sulaiman-Kirthar Geologic Provinces, Pakistan and India |website=pubs.usgs.gov |access-date=2020-04-20}}</ref> | ||
The most well-known peak of the Sulaimans is the twin-peaked [[Takht-e-Sulaiman]] | The most well-known peak of the Sulaimans is the twin-peaked [[Takht-e-Sulaiman]] at {{cvt|3487|m}},<ref>{{Cite book|last=Park |first=G. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j1xwDwAAQBAJ&q=takht-e-sulaiman+height&pg=PT226 |title=Mountains: The origins of the Earth's mountain systems |date=2017 |publisher=Dunedin Academic Press Ltd. |isbn=978-1-78046-579-1}}</ref> located near [[Darazinda]] in [[Dera Ismail Khan Subdivision]], close to the border with both [[South Waziristan]] and the [[Zhob District]] of neighboring Balochistan. The highest peak is [[Zarghun Ghar]] at {{cvt|3578|m}} near [[Quetta]]. The next highest peak in Balochistan province is Khilafat Hill at {{cvt|3475|m}} located in the [[Ziarat District]] of Pakistan and is famous for the [[Ziarat Juniper Forest]], where ''[[Juniperus macropoda]]'' trees grow.<ref>{{cite news |title=In Balochistan, an ancient forest battles for survival |first=S. A. |last=Shah |url=http://dawn.com/news/1024187/in-balochistan-an-ancient-forest-battles-for-survival |work=Dawn |date=2013 |access-date=28 December 2014}}</ref> | ||
==Geography== | ==Geography== | ||
The eastern edge of the Sulaiman range runs {{Convert|280|mi|km|abbr=}} from the [[Gomal Pass]] in Pakistan's | The eastern edge of the Sulaiman range runs {{Convert|280|mi|km|abbr=}} from the [[Gomal Pass]] in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to near the city of [[Jacobabad]] in [[Sindh]] province,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sulaiman Range {{!}} mountains, Pakistan|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Sulaiman-Range|access-date=2020-08-16|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en}}</ref> and further stretches into south-west Punjab. | ||
In Afghanistan, the western edge of the range starts just beyond the northern | In Afghanistan, the western edge of the range starts just beyond the northern Loya Paktia province where they meet the [[Koh-i-Baba]] range. South from there, they meet the [[Spin Ghar]] range northeast of [[Gardez]] in [[Paktia province]], but towards west, the mountain range drops gradually in [[Kandahar Province|Kandahar]] southwest into [[Helmand Province|Helmand]] and the [[Sistan Basin]].{{Cn|date=November 2022}} | ||
The Sulaiman Range, and the high plateaus to the west of it, helps form a natural barrier against the humid winds that blow from the [[Indian Ocean]], creating arid conditions across southern and central Afghanistan to the west and north. In contrast, the relatively flat and low-lying [[Indus]] [[river delta|delta]] is situated due east and south of the Sulaimans. | The Sulaiman Range, and the high plateaus to the west of it, helps form a natural barrier against the humid winds that blow from the [[Indian Ocean]], creating arid conditions across southern and central Afghanistan to the west and north. In contrast, the relatively flat and low-lying [[Indus]] [[river delta|delta]] is situated due east and south of the Sulaimans. | ||
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Areas in the southern part of the range include an [[Imbrication (sedimentology)|Imbricate fan]] of slices of rocks in close parallel,<ref name=":0" /> bounded by faults on either side of each slice.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Science Source - Imbricate Fan, Sulaiman Range, Pakistan|url=https://www.sciencesource.com/archive/Imbricate-Fan--Sulaiman-Range--Pakistan-SS2658381.html|access-date=2020-08-16|website=www.sciencesource.com}}</ref> Along the Eastern edge of the Sulaimans is the Sulaiman Fold, an area within the Indian Plate consisting of sediment, alongside which runs the [[Chaman Fault|Ornach Nal-Ghazaband-Chaman Fault]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Park|first=Graham|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j1xwDwAAQBAJ&q=sulaiman+mountains&pg=PT225|title=Mountains: The origins of the Earth's mountain systems|date=2017-11-09|publisher=Dunedin Academic Press Ltd|isbn=978-1-78046-579-1|language=en}}</ref> | Areas in the southern part of the range include an [[Imbrication (sedimentology)|Imbricate fan]] of slices of rocks in close parallel,<ref name=":0" /> bounded by faults on either side of each slice.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Science Source - Imbricate Fan, Sulaiman Range, Pakistan|url=https://www.sciencesource.com/archive/Imbricate-Fan--Sulaiman-Range--Pakistan-SS2658381.html|access-date=2020-08-16|website=www.sciencesource.com}}</ref> Along the Eastern edge of the Sulaimans is the Sulaiman Fold, an area within the Indian Plate consisting of sediment, alongside which runs the [[Chaman Fault|Ornach Nal-Ghazaband-Chaman Fault]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Park|first=Graham|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j1xwDwAAQBAJ&q=sulaiman+mountains&pg=PT225|title=Mountains: The origins of the Earth's mountain systems|date=2017-11-09|publisher=Dunedin Academic Press Ltd|isbn=978-1-78046-579-1|language=en}}</ref> | ||
== | == In mythology == | ||
[[File:Kohe Sulaiman.jpg|thumb|A view of Takht-e-Sulaiman from [[Kulachi]] tehsil]] | [[File:Kohe Sulaiman.jpg|thumb|A view of Takht-e-Sulaiman from [[Kulachi]] tehsil]] | ||
One of the highest peaks of the | One of the highest peaks of the range, the Takht-i Sulaiman ("Throne of Solomon") at {{convert|3382|m|ft|0}} high, was recorded by [[Ibn Battuta]] as the ''Koh-i Sulaiman''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/newsroom|title=NASA Earth Observatory - Newsroom|date=6 February 2019|website=Earthobservatory.nasa.gov|access-date=6 February 2019}}</ref> It is associated with Prophet [[Solomon]]. According to the legend, Prophet Solomon climbed this mountain and looked out over the land of [[Hindustan|Hind]], which was then covered with darkness, and so turned back without descending into this new frontier, and left only the mountain which is named after him (as told by Ibn Battuta).<ref>{{cite book|last1=Battutah|first1=Ibn|title=The Travels of Ibn Battutah|date=2002|publisher=Picador|location=London|isbn=9780330418799|pages=147}}</ref> | ||
Another legend says that [[Qais Abdur Rashid]], said to be the legendary ancestor of the Pashtun nation, is buried atop Takht-e-Sulaiman, and so it is also locally known as ''Da Kasī Ghar'' (د کسي غر, "Mount of Qais"). | |||
Trips to the mountain is undertaken mostly in summer, since from late November until March the snowfall makes it difficult to climb.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://books.themajlis.net/book/print/538|title=Shariat and Tasawwuf|website=Books.themajlis.net|access-date=6 February 2019}}</ref> | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
* [[Fort Munro]] | |||
* [[Hindu Kush]] | |||
* [[List of mountain ranges]] of the world | |||
* [[Loe Nekan]] | * [[Loe Nekan]] | ||
* [[Pul Shekhani]] | |||
* [[Sheikh Badin]] | |||
* [[Spin Ghar]] | |||
* [[Wadani]] | * [[Wadani]] | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Notelist}} | |||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
| Line 79: | Line 77: | ||
[[Category:Mountain ranges of Balochistan (Pakistan)]] | [[Category:Mountain ranges of Balochistan (Pakistan)]] | ||
[[Category:Mountain ranges of Punjab (Pakistan)]] | [[Category:Mountain ranges of Punjab (Pakistan)]] | ||
[[Category:Iranian | [[Category:Iranian plateau]] | ||
[[Category:Landforms of Kandahar Province]] | [[Category:Landforms of Kandahar Province]] | ||
[[Category:Landforms of Zabul Province]] | [[Category:Landforms of Zabul Province]] | ||
Latest revision as of 16:30, 5 February 2026
| Sulaiman Mountains | |
|---|---|
| Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.; Pashto: د سلیمان غرونہ; Balochi: کوهِ سليمان | |
 Satellite image of a part of the Sulaiman Range | |
| Highest point | |
| Coordinates | 30°30′N 70°10′E / 30.500°N 70.167°E |
| Dimensions | |
| Area | 6,475 km2 (2,500 sq mi) |
| Geography | |
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| |
| Location | Zabul, Kandahar and Loya Paktia, Afghanistan, northern Balochistan, south western Punjab and FATA, Pakistan |
| Parent range | Hindu Kush |
The Sulaiman Mountains Range is a north–south extension of the southern Hindu Kush mountain system in western Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan. They rise to form the eastern edge of the Iranian plateau.[1] They extend from the Kandahar, Zabul and Paktia provinces of Afghanistan across Waziristan and Kurram districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northern Balochistan, and southwestern Punjab in Pakistan. In Punjab the mountains extend into the Dera Ghazi Khan, Taunsa and Rajanpur districts, located west of the Indus River on the boundary with Balochistan. Bordering the mountains to the east are the plains of the Indus River valley, and to the north are the arid highlands of the Central Hindu Kush whose heights extend up to 3,383 m (11,099 ft).[2] The total area on which this range spans around 6,475 km2 (2,500 sq mi).[3] Together with the Kirthar Mountains on the border between Balochistan and Sindh Province, the Sulaiman Mountains form the Sulaiman-Kirthar geologic province.[4]
The most well-known peak of the Sulaimans is the twin-peaked Takht-e-Sulaiman at 3,487 m (11,440 ft),[5] located near Darazinda in Dera Ismail Khan Subdivision, close to the border with both South Waziristan and the Zhob District of neighboring Balochistan. The highest peak is Zarghun Ghar at 3,578 m (11,739 ft) near Quetta. The next highest peak in Balochistan province is Khilafat Hill at 3,475 m (11,401 ft) located in the Ziarat District of Pakistan and is famous for the Ziarat Juniper Forest, where Juniperus macropoda trees grow.[6]
Geography[edit | edit source]
The eastern edge of the Sulaiman range runs 280 miles (450 km) from the Gomal Pass in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to near the city of Jacobabad in Sindh province,[7] and further stretches into south-west Punjab.
In Afghanistan, the western edge of the range starts just beyond the northern Loya Paktia province where they meet the Koh-i-Baba range. South from there, they meet the Spin Ghar range northeast of Gardez in Paktia province, but towards west, the mountain range drops gradually in Kandahar southwest into Helmand and the Sistan Basin.[citation needed]
The Sulaiman Range, and the high plateaus to the west of it, helps form a natural barrier against the humid winds that blow from the Indian Ocean, creating arid conditions across southern and central Afghanistan to the west and north. In contrast, the relatively flat and low-lying Indus delta is situated due east and south of the Sulaimans.
Rivers that drain the Sulaimans include the Gomal River which flows eastward into the Indus River, and the Dori River and other small tributaries of the Arghandab River, which flow southwestward into the Helmand River.[citation needed]
Geology[edit | edit source]
The Sulaimans were formed as a fold and thrust belt as the Indian Plate collided into Eurasian Plate beginning about 30 million years ago.[8] The Indian Plate's counter-clockwise rotation as it collided with the Eurasian Plate resulted in the Sulaiman's having some of the most complex tectonic structures in the world,[8] including "stacking" of thrust faults.[9] The complex fault-system is capable of producing doublet earthquakes that jump to other faults - such as the 1997 Harnai earthquake in which a magnitude 7.1 earthquake triggered a 6.8 earthquake 19 seconds later on a second fault 50 kilometres away.[10]
Areas in the southern part of the range include an Imbricate fan of slices of rocks in close parallel,[8] bounded by faults on either side of each slice.[11] Along the Eastern edge of the Sulaimans is the Sulaiman Fold, an area within the Indian Plate consisting of sediment, alongside which runs the Ornach Nal-Ghazaband-Chaman Fault.[12]
In mythology[edit | edit source]
One of the highest peaks of the range, the Takht-i Sulaiman ("Throne of Solomon") at 3,382 metres (11,096 ft) high, was recorded by Ibn Battuta as the Koh-i Sulaiman.[13] It is associated with Prophet Solomon. According to the legend, Prophet Solomon climbed this mountain and looked out over the land of Hind, which was then covered with darkness, and so turned back without descending into this new frontier, and left only the mountain which is named after him (as told by Ibn Battuta).[14]
Another legend says that Qais Abdur Rashid, said to be the legendary ancestor of the Pashtun nation, is buried atop Takht-e-Sulaiman, and so it is also locally known as Da Kasī Ghar (د کسي غر, "Mount of Qais").
Trips to the mountain is undertaken mostly in summer, since from late November until March the snowfall makes it difficult to climb.[15]
See also[edit | edit source]
- Fort Munro
- Hindu Kush
- List of mountain ranges of the world
- Loe Nekan
- Pul Shekhani
- Sheikh Badin
- Spin Ghar
- Wadani
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Akroyd, C. (2014). Pakistan. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-63355-947-9.
- ↑ Khan, F. K. (1991). A Geography of Pakistan: Environment, People and Economy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-577411-5.
- ↑ "Koh-e-Suleman | District Dera Ghazi Khan". Punjab Government. Retrieved 2023-06-06.
- ↑ "USGS Bulletin 2208-C: Sembar Goru/Ghazij Composite Total Petroleum System, Indus and Sulaiman-Kirthar Geologic Provinces, Pakistan and India". pubs.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2020-04-20.
- ↑ Park, G. (2017). Mountains: The origins of the Earth's mountain systems. Dunedin Academic Press Ltd. ISBN 978-1-78046-579-1.
- ↑ Shah, S. A. (2013). "In Balochistan, an ancient forest battles for survival". Dawn. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
- ↑ "Sulaiman Range | mountains, Pakistan". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Forging Sulaiman Range". earthobservatory.nasa.gov. 2014-07-23. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ↑ Maldonado, Florian (2011). "Summary of the Stratigraphy and Structural Elements Related to Plate Convergence of the Quetta-Muslim Bagh-Sibi Region, Balochistan, West-Central Pakistan" (PDF). USGS. Reston, Virginia: U.S. Geological Survey.
- ↑ "Earthquakes can jump long distances". EARTH Magazine. 2016-06-29. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ↑ "Science Source - Imbricate Fan, Sulaiman Range, Pakistan". www.sciencesource.com. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
- ↑ Park, Graham (2017-11-09). Mountains: The origins of the Earth's mountain systems. Dunedin Academic Press Ltd. ISBN 978-1-78046-579-1.
- ↑ "NASA Earth Observatory - Newsroom". Earthobservatory.nasa.gov. 6 February 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
- ↑ Battutah, Ibn (2002). The Travels of Ibn Battutah. London: Picador. p. 147. ISBN 9780330418799.
- ↑ "Shariat and Tasawwuf". Books.themajlis.net. Retrieved 6 February 2019.