Istālif (Pashto and Dari: استالف) is a mostly Tajik village 29 kilometres (18 mi) northwest of Kabul, Afghanistan, situated at an elevation of 1,693 metres (5,554 ft)[1] in the Shomali Plains, west of Kalakan and south-west of Bagram.

[citation needed] Istalif was always renowned as one of the most beautiful places in Afghanistan – the Emperor Babur fell in love with it in the 16th century and used to hold parties in his rose garden and summer house there.

During the final phase of the First Anglo-Afghan War, as General Pollock's Army of Retribution marched into Kabul, many families fled to Istalif.

In retribution and because he was beholden to the Pashtun tribes who supported him, Mohammad Nadir Shah gave them permission to raid and loot Istalif, along with the rest of the Shomali Plain.

That year, the Taliban cut down trees, burnt homes, and killed livestock to punish the villagers for supporting the Northern Alliance's leader, Ahmad Shah Massoud.