Radial town plan
Streets run out from a central park like spokes and are tied together by circular roads, a rare example of a fully round street layout that shows up clearly at any print size.
Minimalist map poster · Afghanistan
Balkh Map Poster & Print
36.7563° N / 66.8972° E
A round town plan of radial streets beside the long earthen walls of an ancient city on the Bactrian plain
- What you see is exactly what you get
- Up to 7,200 × 10,800 px · 300 DPI
- PNG + print-ready PDF
- No watermark
One city, five moods
Balkh in every style
Tap a style to see it on the wall. Every style costs the same — printed, framed or as HD files.
Actual pixels · 24 × 36″ print filePrint-sharp
Every street in Balkh, razor sharp
This is a 100% crop of the real print file. Every poster — printed, framed or downloaded — is rendered on our servers at 300 DPI, up to 7,200 × 10,800 pixels, so even the smallest lanes stay crisp on a 24 × 36″ print.
On the wall
Balkh at home
The map
About this Balkh map poster
Balkh sits on the flat plain of northern Afghanistan, about twenty kilometres west of Mazar-i-Sharif, where irrigation channels fed by the Balkh River spread across open farmland. From above, the modern town is laid out as a circle. Its streets run out like spokes from a central green, and ring roads cross them, which makes it one of the most geometric small town plans in the region.
Just beside the modern circle are the remains of something much older. Balkh was ancient Bactra, and for centuries writers called it the Mother of Cities. Its eroded mud-brick walls still trace a huge irregular loop on the ground. On a map they show up as a wide, faint outline next to the neat rings of the newer town, and the contrast between the two is easy to read.
A Balkh map poster puts both layouts on one sheet: the tidy radial town and the worn ramparts of Bactra around it. The town is also traditionally named as the birthplace of the poet Rumi, and its fluted-dome shrine of Khwaja Abu Nasr Parsa is one of the best-known buildings in northern Afghanistan. In black and white, the plan reads almost like a diagram.
- Population
- 115,000
- Coordinates
- 36.7563° N / 66.8972° E
- Elevation
- 348 m
- Time zone
- Kabul
- Region
- Balkh, Afghanistan
Walls of Bactra
The eroded earthen ramparts of the ancient city form a large irregular ring next to the modern town, a pale outline of one of Central Asia's oldest urban sites.
Irrigated plain
Around the town, straight field boundaries and irrigation channels from the Balkh River divide the flat ground into fine strips that frame the round centre.
Make it yours
Frame your part of Balkh
Add a date, a name or a line of your own, switch style, size or orientation.
The free preview is low-resolution with a watermark. Prints and HD files are rendered at 300 DPI, up to 7,200 × 10,800 px, without a watermark.
Why Balkh
A map that means something
For many people Balkh stands for Rumi, for the Silk Road and for Bactria, and the map shows that depth quietly through two layouts sitting side by side. It suits people with family roots in the region and anyone drawn to the oldest cities in the world.
You can add your own title, a subtitle such as a date, and a coordinates line, then pick Classic black & white, Noir, Paper, Blueprint or Sand. Download the HD files for $9, or order a matte print with an optional wooden frame.
Order the Balkh posterWhat's in the HD download300 DPINo watermarkPNG + PDF
| Print size | Resolution | Files |
|---|---|---|
| 30 × 40 cm11.8 × 15.7″ | 3,543 × 4,724 px | PNG · PDF |
| 29.7 × 42 cm (A3)11.7 × 16.5″ | 3,508 × 4,961 px | PNG · PDF |
| 42 × 59.4 cm (A2)16.5 × 23.4″ | 4,961 × 7,016 px | PNG · PDF |
| 45.7 × 61 cm18 × 24″ | 5,400 × 7,200 px | PNG · PDF |
| 50 × 70 cm19.7 × 27.6″ | 5,906 × 8,268 px | PNG · PDF |
| 61 × 91.4 cm24 × 36″ | 7,200 × 10,800 px | PNG · PDF |
For comparison, the free preview is 900 px wide, watermarked and meant for screens. The HD files have up to 8× the resolution in each direction and print cleanly at full poster size.
Balkh map poster — FAQ
How do I order the Balkh poster?
Pick a style at the top of the page, then choose Printed Poster — a size and, if you like, a frame — or Digital HD Files. Checkout takes one step, and your order page updates as soon as the payment goes through.
What is the printed Balkh poster like?
It is printed on premium 200 gsm matte paper in one of six sizes, from 30 × 40 cm to 24 × 36″. Printed posters start at $39, shipping included.
Can I order the Balkh poster framed?
Yes. Choose a solid wood frame in black, white, natural oak or dark wood. It comes with shatterproof glazing and is ready to hang. Framed posters start at $99, shipping included.
How long does delivery take, and what does it cost?
Shipping is free to 60+ countries. Each poster is printed by the nearest of our print partners in 30+ countries and usually arrives in 3–7 business days. You can follow the status and tracking under My Orders. A few countries take 2–5 weeks, and where we don't ship yet, the site tells you before you pay.
What if my poster arrives damaged?
Send us a photo within 14 days of delivery and we will reprint it for free or refund you.
Can I add our names or a date to the Balkh poster?
Yes. In the editor on this page, change the title, the subtitle and the coordinates line to anything you like, and pick a style and size. Printed, framed and digital orders all use exactly your design.
What do I get with the digital HD files?
For $9 you get 300 DPI PNG and print-ready PDF files in all six sizes, without a watermark, to print anywhere. Not sure yet? Download a free watermarked preview first.
Nearby
Map posters of cities near Balkh
Mazār-e Sharīf map poster 20 kmTirmiz map poster 62 kmKunduz map poster 175 kmBaghlān map poster 176 kmBokhtar map poster 205 kmQarshi map poster 253 kmShahrisabz map poster 256 kmDushanbe map poster 258 kmKŭlob map poster 286 kmBagrām map poster 292 kmKabul map poster 322 kmSamarkand map poster 322 km