Tajbeg Palace

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Queen's Palance, 2007

Tajbeg Palace or Tapa-e-Tajbeg Palace is a Palace built in the 1920s and located about ten miles (16 km) outside of the center of Kabul, Afghanistan, at 34°27′17.38″N, 69°6′48.04″E. The stately mansion sits atop a knoll among snow-covered foothills where the Afghan royal family once hunted and picnicked. It should not be confused with Darul Aman Palace, which is about 0.8 miles (1.3 km) northeast from Tajbeg.

Built during the era of king Amanullah, this palace was home of the queen. European architects were hired by the royal court to build of a new city quarter called "Darulaman", of which the Taj-Beg palace is one of the most impressive landmarks.^[1]

[edit] History

On December 27, 1979, the Soviet Union launched its invasion of Afghanistan. That evening, the Soviet military launched Operation Storm-333, in which some 700 troops, including 54 KGB spetsnaz special forces troops from the Alpha Group and Zenith Group, stormed the Palace and killed President Hafizullah Amin, who resided there.

During the Soviet war in Afghanistan it served as the headquarters of the Soviet 40th Army. The palace has been severely damaged due to the quarter century of violence that has gripped the country. Currently, NATO Peacekeepers use the palace as a machinegun observation post.