Herat: History, Former Names & Timeline
Capital of the later Timurids and the centre of fifteenth-century Persian painting and poetry.
HeratExplore Herat in the interactive map
Former names of Herat
| From | Name | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 500 BC | Haraiva | |
| 330 BC | Alexandria Ariana | |
| AD 650 | Herat |
Timeline of Herat
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 330 BC | Alexander founds Alexandria Ariana (about this date) |
| 1221 | The Mongols sack Herat |
| 1409 | Shah Rukh makes Herat the Timurid capital |
| 1507 | The Uzbek leader Muhammad Shaybani takes Herat |
| 1863 | Dost Mohammad takes Herat for Afghanistan |
Who ruled Herat
Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.
| Period | State |
|---|---|
| 500 BC–324 BC | Achaemenid Empire |
| 323 BC–301 BC | Empire of Alexander |
| 300 BC–201 BC | Seleucid Kingdom |
| 200 BC–101 BC | Bactria |
| 100 BC–2 BC | Kushan Empire |
| 1 BC–399 | Parthian Empire |
| 400–499 | Persia |
| 500–699 | Sasanian Empire |
| 700–799 | Umayyad Caliphate |
| 800–899 | Abbasid Caliphate |
| 900–999 | Samanid Empire |
| 1000–1299 | Ghaznavid Emirate |
| 1300–1399 | Ilkhanate |
| 1400–1491 | Timurid Empire |
| 1492–1599 | Timurid Emirates |
| 1600–1782 | Safavid Empire |
| 1783–today | Afghanistan |
Nearby cities
- Merv · about 370 km
Further reading
Questions about Herat
What was Herat called in the past?
Herat has been known as Haraiva (from 500 BC); Alexandria Ariana (from 330 BC). Its present name dates from AD 650.
Which states have ruled Herat?
On the historical border maps from 500 BC to today, Herat lies within 17 different states: Achaemenid Empire, Empire of Alexander, Seleucid Kingdom, Bactria, Kushan Empire, Parthian Empire, Persia, Sasanian Empire, Umayyad Caliphate, Abbasid Caliphate and others.
What are the key dates in the history of Herat?
330 BC: Alexander founds Alexandria Ariana (about this date). 1221: The Mongols sack Herat. 1409: Shah Rukh makes Herat the Timurid capital. 1507: The Uzbek leader Muhammad Shaybani takes Herat. 1863: Dost Mohammad takes Herat for Afghanistan.
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.