Maidan Shar
Maidan Shar
میدان شهر | |
|---|---|
Maidan Shar Location in Afghanistan | |
| Coordinates: 34°23′50″N 68°52′11″E / 34.39722°N 68.86972°E | |
| Country | Afghanistan |
| Province | Maidan Wardak |
| District | Maidan Shar |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Mayor | Mawlavi Abdullah Darwish |
| Area | |
| • Land | 33 km2 (13 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 2,225 m (7,300 ft) |
| Population (2025) | |
| 50,029 | |
| • Density | 1,500/km2 (3,900/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 3,984 |
| • Rural | 46,045 |
| Time zone | UTC+04:30 (Afghanistan Time) |
| ISO 3166 code | AF-MSR |
Maidan Shar or Maidan Shahr (Pashto: میدان شهر; Dari: میدان شهر) is a growing town in the eastern part of Afghanistan, serving as the capital of Maidan Wardak Province. It is within the jurisdiction of Maidan Shar District and has an estimated population of 50,029 people. Mawlavi Abdullah Darwish is the current mayor of the town.
Maidan Shar is connected by a road network with Kabul to the northeast, Bamyan and Behsud to the west, and Ghazni to the southwest. The Kabul–Kandahar Highway passes in the town, which helps its economy. Maidan Shar currently has a limited number of bazaars, restaurants, hotels, mosques, hospitals, and places to play sports or just relax.
Zarifa Ghafari became Maidan Shar's first female mayor in 2019. At the age of 26, she was one of the youngest to be appointed. She has won awards for her efforts in promoting women's rights in Afghanistan. On or about 15 August 2021, Maidan Shar fell to the Taliban, becoming the twenty-seventh provincial capital to be captured by the Taliban as part of their wider 2021 offensive.