The name of the city of Herat is thought to originate in the form Hari Rud, which is the name of a river (rud) flowing nearby. An earlier name of the river is Arius, which is clearly related to Arya, a name for some of the more easterly Indo-European tribes. The form Arya is also believed to be the source of the name of the country known now as Iran. In more recent times, the term Aryan acquired a sinister new meaning: the Nazis drew on racist theories to concoct their notion of a "Master Race." To see an enlargement of the picture, press here.