Sharana
Sharan
شړن | |
|---|---|
A street scene in 2010 | |
Sharan Location in Afghanistan | |
| Coordinates: 33°7′48″N 68°46′48″E / 33.13000°N 68.78000°E | |
| Country | Afghanistan |
| Province | Paktika |
| District | Sharan |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipality |
| • Mayor | Mohammad Nasser Hilal |
| Area | |
| • Land | 59 km2 (23 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 2,200 m (7,200 ft) |
| Population (2025) | |
| 70,775 | |
| • Density | 1,200/km2 (3,100/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 5,688 |
| • Rural | 65,087 |
| Time zone | UTC+04:30 (Afghanistan Time) |
| ISO 3166 code | AF-SHR |
Sharan, also known as Sharana (Pashto: ښرنه, Dari: شرنه), is a city in eastern Afghanistan, serving as the capital of Paktika Province. It is within the jurisdiction of Sharan District and has an estimated population of 70,775 people. Mohammad Nasser Hilal is the current mayor of the city.
Sharan is home to Paktika University, which is in the southeastern part of the city. Sharan is at an elevation of approximately 2,200 m (7,200 ft) within the heartland of the Sulaimankhel tribe of Ghilji Pashtuns. The city has a number of bazaars, business centers, public parks, banks, hotels, restaurants, mosques, hospitals, universities, and places to play sports or just relax.
Sharan contains several city districts (nahias), which cover a land area of 59 km2 (23 sq mi) or 5,893 ha (14,560 acres). The city is connected by a road network with Gardez to the northeast, Angoor Adda to the southeast, Qalat to the southwest, and Ghazni to the northwest. One of the agricultural products the area is famous for is pine nuts, which plays an important part in the city's economy.
On 14 August 2021, Sharan was seized by Taliban fighters, becoming the twentieth provincial capital to be captured as part of the wider 2021 Taliban offensive.