Shahr-e Gholghola

Ruined citadel above the Bamyan valley, Afghanistan. Dervla Murphy’s ghost-haunted sunset view in Full Tilt (as ‘the City of Sighs’).

At a glance

Source	Author	Role	In one line
Full Tilt	Dervla Murphy	setting	Sunset climb over ruined houses locals shun for ghosts; soldiers escort her back.

Full Tilt — Dervla Murphy (1965)

Source: Full Tilt - Ireland to India With a Bicycle · Original · Readwise highlight

After this I went off to explore the ruins of ‘The City of Sighs’, where the King of Bamian was successfully besieged by Genghis Khan in 1222. It stands on a hill isolated in the centre of the valley and the climb is so sheer that I was completely breathless by the time I got to the top, with its remains of two watch towers.

• Role: setting
• In the book: She climbs the hill at sunset and looks over the valley, with its ruined houses still bearing wall paintings. Locals avoid the place because of ghosts, and soldiers escort her back since a German boy was murdered there.
• Why it matters: A melancholy, ghost-haunted vantage over the whole Bamian valley.