Peshawar is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a population of over 4.7 million in the 2023 census. It is the capital of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where it is the largest city. It is situated in the north-west of the country, lying in the Valley of Peshawar. Peshawar is primarily populated by Pashtuns, who comprise the second-largest ethnic group in the country.
Clockwise from top: Islamia College University, Cunningham Clock Tower, Sunehri Mosque, Bala Hissar, Bab-e-Khyber, Mahabat Khan Mosque
A vintage photo postcard of the main street, Peshawar. Digitized by Panjab Digital Library.
In ancient Indian subcontinent, the city of Purushapura (which became Peshawar), was established near the Gandharan capital city of Pushkalavati
The nearby Takht-i-Bahi monastery was established in 46 CE, and was once a major centre of Buddhist learning.
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. Islamabad is the nation's capital, while Karachi is its largest city and financial centre. Pakistan is the 33rd-largest country by area and the ninth-largest in Asia. Bounded by the Arabian Sea on the south, the Gulf of Oman on the southwest, and the Sir Creek on the southeast, it shares land borders with India to the east; Afghanistan to the west; Iran to the southwest; and China to the northeast. It shares a maritime border with Oman in the Gulf of Oman, and is separated from Tajikistan in the northwest by Afghanistan's narrow Wakhan Corridor.
Priest-King from Mohenjo-daro (c. 2500 BCE)
Cremation urn, Gandhara grave culture, Swat Valley, c. 1200 BCE
Standing Buddha from Gandhara (1st–2nd century CE)
Badshahi Mosque, Lahore
