Kabul Tower, Brutalist high-rise structure in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Kabul Tower, also called the MOC Tower or Telecom Tower, is an 18-story brutalist government office building in Kabul. It rises 87 metres to its tip, with an architectural height of 75 metres, and its exposed concrete exterior is marked by repeated geometric patterning. It serves as the headquarters of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
Kabul Tower was built in the 1970s; the Persian Wikipedia gives the year 1355 in the Solar Hijri calendar, corresponding to 1976-77. It was erected as the headquarters of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, a role the building still holds. Its 87-metre height made it Afghanistan's tallest building for decades, until Kabul Markaz Residential Tower 1 surpassed it in 2020.
Kabul Tower is known locally as the MOC Tower or Telecom Tower, names that point to its role as the headquarters of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. Its concrete facade carries the rough-surfaced zabora-kari masonry treatment noted in Persian-language accounts of the building.
The tower stands in central Kabul and is visible from street level by its 87-metre height and exposed-concrete facade. As the headquarters of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, it is a working government office, so the interior is not open to visitors; viewing and photography are done from outside.
Kabul Tower reaches 87 metres to its tip, though its architectural height is 75 metres; the difference comes from the antenna on the roof. It kept the title of Afghanistan's tallest building until the Kabul Markaz Residential Tower 1 passed it in 2020.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,078 contributors worldwide.