Peshawar

Peshawar The heart of the North West Frontier Province, Peshawar is an exciting city in Pakistan. Located about 170 kilometres from Islamabad (the capital of Pakistan), it takes about three hours by road to reach Peshawar from Islamabad. Steeped in history, Peshawar is the meeting point of the Central Asia and sub-continent.
Also called the land of Pathans, Peshawar’s entry into the historical records takes us back to some 2000 years ago, when Kushans were ruling the area. Kushans shifted their capital to Peshawar from Pushkalavati, which is 30 kilometres north of Peshawar. Later Sher Shah Suri ruled the area. In 1818, the Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh captured Peshawar. During his rule Peshawar saw little progress and the city was ruined. The British revived the city before the independence of Pakistan.

Peshawar Popular Attractions:

Peshawar can easily be divided into old Peshawar and new Peshawar. The old Peshawar reflects the bygone era with its old houses and historical monuments while the new one has many concrete structures, hotels and railway line. The old city is what attracts tourists most as the city has a number of beautiful monuments and colorful bazaars.
Mughal Mosque built in 1670 by Mohabat Khan is a fine example of the Mughal architecture. Though the mosque was destroyed by fire 1898, it was later restored with the help of traditional craftsmen. The floral work and calligraphy done at the prayer chamber in the mosque is stunning. When travelling to Peshawar from Rawalpindi or coming from Khyber Pass, it is difficult to miss Bala Hisaar Fort. The massive structure was built by the first Mughal ruler Babar in 1526. Peshawar Museum is something tourists should not miss, when touring Peshawar. Earlier known as Victoria Memorial Hall, the museum was built in 1905.
Shopping in Peshawar is an exciting activity that you can enjoy. Peshawar is home to some of the bustling bazaars of Pakistan. The Qissa Khawani Bazaar is an interesting place to visit. You can rummage through the various markets in Peshawar. Some of the bazaars that you can visit include Khyber Bazaar, Bird Bazaar, Meena Bazaar and Jewellery Bazaar.
There are a number of other interesting places in Peshawar that you can visit. Some of the tourist attractions that you can visit in Peshawar include Forest Museum, Shahi Bagh, Jinnah Park and Tatara Park. If you can extend your tour to Peshawar, Khyber Pass about 18 kilometres (that links NWFP to Afghanistan) is other exciting option that you can travel to.

Peshawar Accessibility:

Peshawar is one of the most accessible cities of Pakistan. In addition to the historic Grand Trunk Road (G.T. road), a motorway is under construction, from Peshawar to Islamabad. Peshawar is well connected by rail and road with the rest of the country and Afghanistan’s Jalalabad city. Peshawar International airport has air linkage to all over the country as well as all over the world.