Peshawar is the capital city of Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The largest city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the sixth-largest city in Pakistan, Peshawar is primarily populated by Pashtuns, who comprise the second-largest ethnic group in the country.
Area: 215 km²
Elevation: 331 m
Weather: 24°C, Wind NE at 8 km/h, 58% Humidity
Local time: Wednesday 7:17 pm
Population: 1.97 million (2017) United Nations
Mayor: Zubair Ali
Area code: 091
Peshawar, located northwest of Islamabad, is a lovely and most beautiful city in Pakistan. It has a history that goes back to the Mughal Empire in the 17th century. Tourists flock to this city for its historical sites, street markets, and food. You can simply wander through Peshawar’s streets and bazaars to have a good time. Don’t forget to dine in Namak Mandi on the famed Charsi Tikka. If you are a fan of lamb meat, the classic Dum pukht dish is a must-try.
The old charm of Peshawar has been retained. The defenses of the Bala Hisar Fort keep an eye on the traffic on the iconic GT Road. The Afghan Durrani dynasty erected this fort in 1562 and used it as their imperial home. The city’s historical sites include the Peshawar Museum, Buddhist Stupas, Khyber Pass, and Jamrud Fort.
When it comes to shopping, Peshawar has a diverse selection of high-end items at reasonable pricing. From famous Afghan carpets in Shuba Chowk to jewels in Namak Mandi, this city has it all. In Jehangir Pura Market, the beautiful Peshawari Chappals are available. The old Qissa Khwani Bazaar is well worth a visit for shoppers.
Peshawar was founded as the city of Puruṣapura, on the Gandhara Plains in the broad Valley of Peshawar in 100 CE. It may have been named after a Hindu raja who ruled the city who was known as Purush. The city likely first existed as a small village in the 5th century BCE, within the cultural sphere of ancient India.
Peshawar, city, capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, northern Pakistan. The city lies just west of the Bara River, a tributary of the Kabul River, near the Khyber Pass. The Shahji-ki Dheri mounds, situated to the east, cover ruins of the largest Buddhist stupa in the subcontinent (2nd century ce), which attest the lengthy association of the city with the Buddha and Buddhism. Once the capital of the ancient Buddhist kingdom of Gandhara, the city was known variously as Parasawara and Purusapura (town, or abode, of Purusa); it was also called Begram. The present name, Peshawar (pesh awar, “frontier town”), is ascribed to Akbar, the Mughal emperor of India (1556–1605). A great historic centre of transit-caravan trade with Afghanistan and Central Asia, Peshawar is today connected by highway and rail with Lahore, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, and Karachi and by air with Rawalpindi, Chitral, and Kabul, Afghanistan.
Industries include textile and sugar mills, fruit canning, and the manufacture of chappals (sandals), shoes, leatherwork, glazed pottery, wax and embroidery work, copper utensils, lungis (a type of sarong), turbans, carpets, ornamental woodwork and furniture, ivory work, knives, and small arms. The ancient Qissah (Kissa) Khwani Bazar (“Street of Storytellers”) is the meeting place for foreign merchants who deal in dried fruits, woolen products, rugs, carpets, pustins (sheepskin coats), karakul (lambskin) caps, and Chitrali cloaks.
Peshawar’s historic buildings include Bala Hissar, a fort built by the Sikhs on the ruins of the state residence of the Durranis, which was destroyed by them after the battle of Nowshera; Gor Khatri, once a Buddhist monastery and later a sacred Hindu temple, which stands on an eminence in the east and affords a panoramic view of the entire city; the pure white mosque of Mahabat Khan (1630), a remarkable monument of Mughal architecture; Victoria memorial hall; and Government House. There are many parks, and the Chowk Yadgar and the town hall are other places of social and public assembly. Coffeehouses also are popular. Gardens and suburbs are outside the old city wall.
Constituted a municipality in 1867, the city has three hospitals, a museum (with a large collection of Gandharan Buddhist relics), an agricultural college, and the University of Peshawar (founded 1950), with several constituent and affiliated colleges.
The surrounding region consists of highly irrigated plains, part of a huge basin drained and irrigated by the Kabul River, and a tract covered by low hills at Cherat in the southeast. The chief crops are wheat, corn (maize), sugarcane, barley, cotton, and fruit (apples, pears, peaches, pomegranates, and quinces). The inhabitants are mostly Pashtun.
References to the Peshawar area occur in early Sanskrit literature and the writings of the classical historians Strabo and Arrian and the geographer Ptolemy. The Vale of Peshawar was annexed by the Greco-Bactrian king Eucratides (2nd century bce), and Kaniska made Purusapura the capital of his Kushan (Kusana) empire (1st century ce). Buddhism was still dominant in the 5th century ce when Faxian, the Chinese Buddhist monk and traveler, passed through the area. Captured by the Muslims in 988 ce, it was by the 16th century in the possession of the Afghans, who were nominally dependent on the Mughals. Sikh authority was firmly established by 1834, and the area was under British control from 1849 to 1947, when it became part of Pakistan.
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In the early 21st century the activities of the Taliban spread into the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region and then deeper into Pakistan. Peshawar increasingly became a target of Taliban attacks, which grew in frequency in 2009 as the Pakistani army confronted Taliban forces in the region. Among the most notable was the Peshawar school massacre in 2014. Pop. (2017) urban agglom., 1,970,042.
The Peshawar Valley cradled between the Khyber Pass and the Indus River is an ancient doorway witness to the many crusades that carved the fate of this world. At the Western end of the valley in the shadow of the highest visible peaks and thirty miles lies the ancient town of Peshawar. The Valley derives its name from this town which still mirrors an image of the olden days. It is not about concrete buildings and fancy cars but a city that holds its traditions and roots with pride, also known as the city of flowers. It is situated in the east of the historic Khyber Pass.
Peshawar is the capital and the largest city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Peshawar’s history dates back to at least 539 BCE, which makes it the oldest city in Pakistan, also one of the oldest cities in South Asia. Unlike the other northern parts of the country, Peshawar is not situated in the monsoon region. The maximum temperature in summer is above 40°C and the minimum temperature in winter drops by 4°C.
Peshawar being the capital serves as the economic and administrative hub for the rest of the province. The city in recent times has transitioned into a modern city bursting with life and opportunities for progress. With the increase in infrastructural development and multiple architectural projects underway, the city has successfully grabbed the attention of national and international investors. Many businesses have landed in the city and are successfully expanding themselves in a favorable environment. Housing options have outgrown the restricted boundaries with the introduction of multiple housing societies.
However, the biggest change has hit the entertainment and food industry which in recent times has experienced a massive shift from a specific trend to the introduction of national and international brands and cuisines that are rapidly making their way into the city. The overall ambiance of the city has changed for the better and has helped in allowing a smooth yet beneficial transformation into a modern terrain that is still rooted in its cultural legacy.
13 Famous Places of Peshawar, Pakistan
1. Sethi House
2. Chowk Yadgar
3. Mahabat Khan Masjid
4. Peshawar Museum
5. Bab-e-Khyber
6. Qissa Khwani Bazaar
7. Jamrud Fort
8. Khyber Charsi Tikka
9. Shahi Bagh
10. Bala Hisar Fort
11. Sir Cunningham Clock Tower
12. Gorkhatri
13. Islamia College
Published in Apnimag,19 Octuber,2022
