A river shaped by mountains

The Kokcha flows through Badakhshan and passes the provincial capital, Fayzabad. Its course links high valleys, cultivated land and settlements before its waters join the wider Amu Darya river system. Seasonal snowmelt makes rivers like the Kokcha essential to farming and daily life.

The surrounding region has also been connected with lapis lazuli for thousands of years. Stone from the mines of Badakhshan travelled along ancient trade routes to distant parts of Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean.

More than a view

The photograph shows the contrast that defines much of Badakhshan: a green river corridor enclosed by dry, steep slopes. Poplar and willow trees follow the water, while fields occupy the flatter ground close to the banks.