The Sulaiman Mountains are a mountain range in Pakistan, with northern spurs situated in Afghanistan. This mountainous system consists of parallel ranges that rise to average elevations of 1,800–2,100 m. Its maximum elevation is the Zarghun Ghar peak, which is 3,578-m (11,739 ft) high. The second highest peak in this system is the Khilafat Hill, which rises up to 3,475-m (11,401 ft) of altitude. Separated by valleys, the Sulaiman Mountains extend longitudinally from south to north for almost 600 km. They lie to the west of the Indus River and constitute the eastern boundary of the Iranian Plateau. The mountains end abruptly near the Indus River valley. In Afghanistan, the western edge of the range starts just beyond the northern Loya Paktia province where they meet the Koh-i-Baba range.
The climate of the Sulaiman Mountains is dry and subtropical. However, the northeastern slopes are subject to summer monsoons. Dry steppes and mountain deserts predominate; the northeastern regions have areas of shrubs and oak, juniper, and pistachio forests. Irrigation agriculture is practiced, while fruits are also grown in the river valleys. The Sulaiman Mountain Range constitute a natural barrier against the humid winds that blow from the Indian Ocean, creating arid conditions across southern and central Afghanistan to the west and north. In contrast, the flat and low-lying Indus delta region is humid. Rivers that drain the Sulaimans include the Gomal River which flows eastward into the Indus River, and the Dori River and other small tributaries of the Arghandab River.
Geology
The Sulaiman Mountains are composed primarily of limestones and sandstones crushed into folds during the Cenozoic era. The region along and around this mountain range is very seismic. Thus, these mountains were formed as a fold and thrust belt as the Indian Plate collided against Eurasian Plate beginning 40 million year ago.This tectonic collision resulted in the Sulaiman's having some of the most complex geological structures in the world, which include the "stacking" of thrust faults. The Sulaiman Fold is located along the Eastern edge of the Sulaiman Mountains; it is an area within the Indian Plate consisting of sediment, alongside which runs the Ornach Nal-Ghazaband-Chaman Fault.
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| Above, the Sulaiman Mountains, lying in Pakistan, to the south-west of the Himalaya and west of the Indus River. |
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| A ravine in the Sulaiman Range. Photo taken from the road. |