DID YOU KNOW? 💡 Herat dates back to Avestan (Zoroastrian) times and was traditionally known for its wine. During the Middle Ages, Herat became one of the important cities of Khorasan, as it was known as the “Pearl of Khorasan”. In the second image, the late 19th century map of Herat which is centred on the citadel of Herat dating back to 330 BC.  The map also details plots of cultivated land surrounding the citadel.  These plots are divided between vineyards and gardens.  If you look closely at the map you’ll see that there are many vineyards surrounding all four sides of the citadel. Herat is first recorded in ancient times, but its precise date of foundation is unknown. Under the Persian Achaemenid Empire (550–330 BC), the surrounding district was known by the Old Persian name of Haraiva (𐏃𐎼𐎡𐎺), and in classical sources, the region was correspondingly known as Areia (Aria). In the Zoroastrian collection of Avesta, the district is referred as Haroiva. Herāt was the name of on...