Bala Murghab (Caves at)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An unspecified number of man-made rock chambers (excavated grottoes), used as dwellings by Hazaras, have been reported (note 1) by Captain Durand (in LUMSDEN 1885: 563) from a place some 25 km west of Bala Murghab (Bala Morghab), in a tributary from the east to the right bank of the river Murghab, and in the Karajungal hills (note 2): A ride of 15 or 16 miles up a narrow valley going east from Bala Murghab landed us in a group of kibitkas [nomad's tents], curiously enough just undergoing the change into house formation, which would no doubt have interested Mr. Fergusson. But cave dwellings were also in the same group, and little boys and girls came bolting out of the sandhills like rabbits. Here [note 3] we found water and pitched our camp.An unspecified number of man-made rock chambers (excavated grottoes), used as dwellings by Hazaras, have been reported (note 1) by Captain Durand (in LUMSDEN 1885: 563) from a place some 25 km west of Bala Murghab (Bala Morghab), in a tributary from the east to the right bank of the river Murghab, and in the Karajungal hills (note 2): A ride of 15 or 16 miles up a narrow valley going east from Bala Murghab landed us in a group of kibitkas [nomad's tents], curiously enough just undergoing the change into house formation, which would no doubt have interested Mr. Fergusson. But cave dwellings were also in the same group, and little boys and girls came bolting out of the sandhills like rabbits. Here [note 3] we found water and pitched our camp.