The rugged frontier town of Peshawar, 172 km west of Islamabad, is the capital of the North West Frontier Province in Pakistan. The city is a stereotypical frontier outpost, with tall and fierce-looking Pathans roaming the streets, toting machine guns and battle-worn bandoliers. They are mainly Pashtuns or Pathans, a proud warrior tribe that have guarded the Khyber Pass and traded across it for centuries.

Mainly Pushto speaking, the people follow the ideals of local heroes like the poet-warrior Khushal Khan Khattak and Rehman Baba. The city’s historical importance lay in its proximity to the Khyber Pass, the route for marauding armies entering the Indian Sub Continent. The pass was used over centuries by invaders, traders and empire-builders.Aryans, Scythians, Persians, Greeks, Kushans, Mongols and finally the Mughals stormed through this city to establish their dominance over the region. Even today, the border tribal areas enjoy a great degree of autonomy with the right to govern according to their social customs. Peshawar today continues to be a strategic outpost linking Central Asia and South Asia. The Grand Trunk Road is the vital road link. Railway lines connect Peshawar with Lahore, Rawalpindi and Karachi. The city has air links with Rawalpindi, Chitral and Kabul in Afghanistan.

As an ancient town where the footprints of many diverse civilisations lay, Peshawar has several interesting historical sites. The old city was once a heavily guarded citadel with high walls. Today, not much remains of the walls, but the houses have an essence of days gone by. Most of the houses are made of unbaked bricks with wooden structures for protection against earthquakes. Many of them have beautifully carved wooden doors and latticed wooden balconies. One of the prominent buildings in the area is the police office which stands on the site of an ancient Buddhist stupa that later became a Mughal rest house or serai.

Dominating the city is the Bala Hissar fort, visible as you approach Peshawar from both Rawalpindi and the Khyber Pass. The Sikhs refurbished the fort in the 1830's, built originally by Mughal Emperor Babur between 1526 and 1530. This historical monument now houses some government offices. Standing on an eastern outcrop is the site of Gor Khatri. Originally a Buddhist monastery that was replaced by a Hindu temple, the site offers a sweeping view of the city. The governor of Peshawar built the beautiful milk-white Mosque of Mahabat Khan in 1670. Though partially damaged in a fire in 1898, the interiors still reveal exquisite craftsmanship in the carved floral motifs and calligraphy.

Chowk Yadgar is the central town square where public assemblies and social gatherings take place. Two roads connecting to the old city area serve the Chowk.

The Qissa Khawani Bazaar or Storytellers' Marketplace is the timeless meeting place where storytellers brought tales from far-off lands for the local inhabitants. The market is filled with shops selling dried fruits, woollen garments, carpets, Peshawari chappals (sandals), pustins or sheepskin coats, the karakul caps, cloaks and the Yakhdaan, a locally manufactured lightweight suitcase. Walking through the old market, you are greeted with the delicious aroma of freshly baked breads, juicy kababs and tikkas (pieces of minced meat grilled over charcoal fires). The teashops with brass samovars serving hot cups of tea make a good place to take a break. Other markets that carry the ambience of the city include the Khyber Bazaar, the Bird Bazaar, Andershahr Bazaar, Jewellery Bazaar and the Meena Bazaar meant exclusively for women.

The Peshawar Museum was built by the British in 1905 for hosting social gatherings and balls and was originally named the Victoria Memorial Hall. Today the large central hall and the galleries display an interesting collection of Gandhara sculptures, Buddhist and tribal artefacts and samples of Muslim art. One of the most significant displays at the Museum is the Kanishka casket that was found in the archaeological site of Shah-ji-Dheri near Peshawar. The casket has Kharosti inscriptions and is believed to have held bone fragments of the Buddha.

The Pakistan Air Force Museum near the civil airport showcases a different but equally interesting history of the nation. The exhibits include aircraft models, uniforms, decorations, souvenirs and photographs. The prized exhibit here is the founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah's Viking airplane.

The new city area across the railway line was built by the British as the cantonment or Saddar. It has neatly laid out roads, well-planned buildings, parks and residences. At the centre of the Saddar is the Khalid bin Walid or Company Bagh. An old garden laid out in the classical Mughal style, it has several large trees and is renowned for its rose bushes. Other gardens in the area include the Shahi Bagh and the Wazir Bagh. Old colonial buildings that can still be seen in the Cantonment area are the Governnor's House, the old Missionary Edwards College and the Museum.

18 km from Peshawar near the Jamrud Fort is the historical 1,066 metres high Khyber Pass that is the main route into neighbouring Afghanistan. Cutting across the Sulaiman Hills, the pass extends over 35 km into Torkham across the frontier. At Torkham, 56 km away, there is a government motel and Information Centre, though it is often shut down due to the turbulent political atmosphere in Afghanistan. To visit the pass, you would need special permission from the Administration at Peshawar. On the way to the Pass lies the Ali Masjid and Fort that has guarded the pass for centuries. The Sphola Stupa dating to 2 – 5 century AD is another significant historical site. Landikotal Bazaar, 8 km short of Torkham, is the last stop before reaching the border.

Another exciting option of visiting the Pass is to take the Khyber railway up to Landikotal. An engineering marvel, the railway line passes through 34 tunnels and over 92 bridges. The train chugs up 1,200 metres and was built in the 1920's by the British. At the Changai Spur shaped like a "W", the line ascends 130 metres within less than a mile and has two stations on the way. Due to the unstable political situation in Afghanistan, the Khyber Railway is currently closed to visitors.

A testimonial to the lifestyle of this embattled region is the village of Darra Adam Khel. Lying 42 km south of Peshawar, this village is the largest centre for production of indigenous arms in Pakistan. Walking through the streets, you will find almost every house in the village involved in the replication of all possible models of imported guns and pistols. To visit Darra, you have to acquire a special permission from the Home Secretary of the Government of N.W.F.P. The area is however closed to foreigners.

80 km from Peshawar are the ruins of an ancient Buddhist monastery at Takht-i-Bhai. Perched above a 152-metre hill, the last leg of the monastery complex has to be covered either on foot or by jeep.

This 2 - 5^th century AD complex includes a large rectangular courtyard, the main monastery to the north and a shrine to the south. It is believed that the monastery was originally a double-storey structure with an open central courtyard and monastic cells lining the sides. There is also a row of underground meditation cells to the west of the monastery. Another Buddhist site, 76 km from Peshawar, on the road to the Kabul River is the Chanaka Dheri at Shahbaz Garhi. The site has remains of a circular stupa, a tank and rows of smaller stupas and monastic cells. The remains also contain a 2^nd century BC edict of Emperor Ashoka.

At Charsadda, 29 km northeast of Peshawar, is one of the most important Gandhara sites in the region. According to Hindu mythology, Bharata the brother of Rama, originally founded the city of Pushkalavati. Named Pushkalavati or the city of lotus flowers, Charsadda was the ancient capital of the Gandhara kingdom from the 6^th century BC till the 2^nd century AD. The city was an important centre for trans-continental trade and culture and was invaded by Alexander in 324 BC. Close to Charsadda are the remains of a 1^st century BC Bactrian Greek town of Shaikhan Dheri.

Replete with historical sites, Charsadda has the area of Prang. Spread over hundreds of acres with graves marked by black and white stones with geometric carvings, the graveyard is held sacred by locals. Close to the town is the Sikh fort of Sharkargarh at Shabqadr. The mound of Bibi Syeda Dheri in Uzmail village has the shrine of Bibi Syeda but is believed to have been the site of an ancient stupa built to mark the indoctrination of goddess Hariti by Lord Buddha. According to local residents, a pinch of soil from the mound can cure the scourge of smallpox. At Shahji-ki-Dheri, 27 km from Peshawar is the largest Buddhist stupa of the area dating back to the 2^nd century AD. A fort excavated recently near the mound is the location where Alexander's army holed up for forty days during his invasions in the region.

Peshawar is connected with the rest of the country by air, road and trains. There are international flights from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah and Tashkent. Domestic flights connect many cities in Pakistan to Pehawar. Daily buses run the distance between Lahore and Rawalpindi to Peshawar. The distance from Rawalpindi to Peshawar is 167 kms. There is a host of accommodation that you can choose from, in this frontier town.