| Official Name: | Islam Qala |
| Pushpin Map: | Afghanistan |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Afghanistan |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Afghanistan |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Herat Province |
| Subdivision Type2: | District |
| Subdivision Name2: | Islam Qala District |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Population Total: | 16408 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Coordinates: | 34.6667°N 61.0667°W |
| Elevation M: | 731 |
Islām Qala (Pashto: اسلام کلا, Dari: اسلام قلعه) is a border town in the western Herat province of Afghanistan, near the Afghanistan–Iran border. It is the official port of entry by land from neighboring Taybad in Iran. The Dowqarun-Islam Qala border crossing is located about northwest of the town.[1]
Islam Qala is administered as part of Islam Qala District of Herat Province and is linked to the city of Herat via the Islam Qala-Herat Highway.[2] The town plays an important role when it comes to the economy of Afghanistan because a substantial volume of national trade passes through it.[3] [4]
Islam Qala is believed to have a population of about 16,408 residents.[5] It has gradually expanded in the last two decades due to the establishment of various facilities. Among them is a refugees repatriation center in which large number of returnees are processed everyday by the Ministry of Refugees and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).[6] [7] The town has Afghan Border Police and other national security forces.[8]
Islam Qala became a border town during the Durrani Empire in the 19th century, after Afghanistan became a sovereign state. Many armies, traders and travelers have passed through the town throughout history. The Asian Highway 1 (AH1), which is part of the Asian Highway Network from Tokyo in Japan to west of Istanbul in Turkey,[9] where it connects to the European route E80 (E80) that reaches to Lisbon, passes in Islam Qala.
On February 13, 2021, due to corruption and negligence,[10] large number of trucks were burnt by a fire incident at a parking area in Islam Qala.[11] [12] [13] [14] [15] On July 9, 2021, the entire town fell to the Taliban forces without incident. Since then the corruption in the town has been eliminated and government revenue increased to over 8 billion afghanis in less than a year.[16]
With an influence from the local steppe climate, Islam Qala features a cold semi-arid climate (BSk) under the Köppen climate classification. The average temperature in Islam Qala is 17.3 °C, while the annual precipitation averages 225 mm.
July is the hottest month of the year with an average temperature of 29.5 °C. The coldest month January has an average temperature of 5.5 °C.