Kandahar, also Qandahar, city in southern Afghanistan, capital of Kandahar Province. Kandahar, the chief commercial center of the country, lies on a fertile, irrigated plain about 1036 m (about 3400 ft) above sea level. The leading products of the province are fruit, grain, tobacco, silk, cotton, and wool. The city itself has fruit processing and canning plants and textile mills. A thick wall of mud construction encloses the city. Points of interest include bazaars and mosques, the tomb of the first emir of Afghanistan, Ahmad Shah, and the nearby ruins of the original city, which was destroyed by the Turkmen ruler Nadir Shah in 1738. According to legend, ancient Kandahar was founded by Alexander the Great. Population 225,500 (1988 estimate).
