Short answers, pulled from the story.
Alexander the Great captured the city in 329 BCE and renamed it Alexandria in Opiana. This event established a strategic location on a plateau at approximately 2,200 meters above sea level as a vital link between India, Iran, and Central Asia.
Sabuktigin turned Ghazni into the capital of the Ghaznavid Empire in the 10th century. The dynasty ruled for nearly two hundred years under leaders such as Sultan Mahmud who reigned from 998 to 1030.
The Minarets of Ghazni date from the middle of the twelfth century and are surviving elements of the mosque of Bahramshah. Two towers about 40 meters high stand apart and were constructed by Sultan Mahmud and his son over eight centuries ago.
Ghazni has an estimated population of 205,965 people living within 15,931 dwelling units recorded in 2015. The multi-ethnic population is approximately 50% Tajik, 25% Hazara, and 25% Pashtun.
Taliban forces invaded the city on the 12th of August 2021 as part of their offensive. This event made Ghazni the tenth provincial capital captured by them during that campaign.