Peshawar, Pakistan

Salut Mes Amis,

A Sikh Gurdawara of almost 5 centuries old, located in the old city of Peshawar and could be visited during the day time.
It is located in a pretty complicated and populous area so better to keep some local person with you, but it is very colorful and one of the pieces of archtchitecture in the old city.

A bien tot,

Warm welcome to Pakistan

,

This city, close to the Afghan border has a fascinating, chaotic Old Town with bazaars, donkey carts and streets filled with hordes of friendly and interested people. Walk around long enough and will certainly get an invitation for a cup of tea.
Don't miss a visit to the Khan Club (see restaurant tips).

Jamrud Fort, 18 kilometres (11 miles) from Peshawar and at the mouth of the Khyber Pass, is as far as a visitor can go without a permit. To proceed further, foreigners require a permit. This permit is free of charge and can be obtained by applying at the Political Agent?s offices. Let alone foreigners, even Pakistanis have to apply for this permit if they need to visit. Jamrud Fort is visible from a distance like an old battleship. Looking ruggedly majestic with its jumble of towers and loop hole walls, the fort contains the grave of its builder, the famous Sikh General Hari Singh Nalwa, who died here in action against the forces of the Amir of Kabul in 1837 AD. The fort; coarsely constructed of stone daubed with mud plaster, was built by the Sikhs in 1823 on the site of an earlier fort. The modern stone arch spanning the road dates from 1964.

The Mahabat Khan Mosque is located on the narrow street of Andarshar Bazaar, inside the Peshawar City. To get there, either take the Kachairy Road to Chowk Yadgar, park there and walk west 150 meters into the Bazaar; or park diagonally across the southeast end of Balahisar Fort on Hakim Ullah Jan Road, and walk up the alley of Andarshar Bazaar. The mosque is at the highest point on the street. The mosque was built in mid 17th century, during the rule of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan. Mahabat Khan was governor of the Peshawar region at the time, and he financed the building of the mosque, thus the eponym.
It is a beautiful mosque in the traditional Mughal style. Set among the gold and silversmith shops, its narrow but massive entrance leads to a large prayer courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard is a cool blue tiled ablution pond, with a row of rooms on either side, and a main prayer hall towards the western side. The main hall is lavishly decorated inside and covered by three fluted domes. Two tall minars (towers) rise on either side of the main hall.
In 1826, the Sikhs had to fight their way to Peshawar and let loose a reign of terror, which continued with the appointment of General Avitabile, an Italian mercenary, as the governor of Peshawar. Every day before breakfast, he would have a few local men hurled from the top of the minar of the Mahabat Khan Mosque to "teach a lesson to the unruly tribesmen". His cruelty has passed into the folklore of the walled city, for naughty children are often warned of the wrath of Abu Tabela, a local corruption of 'Avitabile'. The top domes of the minars were destroyed by the Sikh rulers, and later rebuilt by British. Today it is well maintained by the faithfuls.
Remember to take off your shoes before entering the mosque. Ensure that you are clothed to cover your arms and legs. Also cover your head.

Peshawar was enclosed within a city wall and sixteen gates until the mid 50s, while on both the eastern and western approaches to the city there is the mighty Balahisar Fort.
This fort meets the eye when coming from Rawalpindi, or from the Khyber. It is a massive, frowning structure as its name implies, and the newcomer passing under the shadow of its huge battlements and ramparts cannot fail to be impressed. It was originally built by Babur, the first of the Mughals, in 1526-30, then was rebuilt in its present form by the Sikh Governor of Peshawar, Hari Singh Nalva, in the 1830's under the guidance of French engineers. Presently it houses the government offices.

Capital of the North-West Frontier Province, NW Pakistan. A road and rail center near the famed Khyber Pass, Peshawar is an important military and communications center and the major depot for trade with Afghanistan. Local handicrafts and farm produce from the surrounding fertile agricultural valley are sold in the many bazaars of the city. Industries include food processing, and the manufacture of steel, cigarettes, firearms, textiles, pharmaceuticals, furniture, and paper and board. The city, once called Purushapura, was the capital of the ancient Greco-Buddhist center of Gandhara. The Kushan leader Kanishka (2d cent. a.d.) made it his capital. For centuries, it was the target of successive Afghan, Persian, and Mongol invaders. It was named Peshawar [frontier town] by the Mughal emperor Akbar. A favorite residence (18th cent.) of the Afghan Durrani rulers, it was taken by the Sikhs (early 19th cent.), from whom the British captured it in 1848. It became an important outpost of British India and was a base for British military operations against Pathan tribes. During the decade-long Soviet occupation of Afghanistan (1979-89) it was the center of relief operations for Afghan refugees and the command center of the coalition of guerrilla groups intent on expelling the Soviet forces from Afghanistan. Peshawar has a museum containing Buddhist relics and Gandhara sculpture, a 2d-century Buddhist stupa bearing an inscription by Kanishka, and a university (1950) with several affiliated colleges.The land of Pathans is as handsome as its sons and as charming as its daughters. Hospitality reigns in this land of contrast and beauty. Peshawar has enjoyed the reputation of being the center of attraction for tourists since centuries.

This is the scene from outside our hotel, Green's, in Peshawar.

We also visited the beautiful city Peshawar. For more info and pictures see my Peshawar page (this page will be added in the near future, so be patient)