Mardan
Travel Guide
Mardān is town in KPK province of Pakistan, located 142 Kilometers
from Islamabad and 65 Kilometers from Peshawar. It is the second largest city of
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after Peshawar.
Mardan is located in a region rich in archaeaological sites. In 1962, the
Sanghao Caves were discovered outside of Mardan, which yielded artifacts from
the Middle Paleolithic period, over 30,000 years ago. Other sites in the
immediate area have yielded evidence of human activity from the Upper
Paleolithic period. Further excavations from the area around Jamal Garhi near
Mardan recovered artifacts from the Mesolithic period
The area around Mardan then formed part of the homeland of the Gandhara grave
culture around 1800 BCE. The Gandharan grave culture appears to have been a
Central Asian group that may represent part of the Indo-Aryan invasion into the
subcontinent. Mardan then formed part of the ancient Buddhist kingdom of
Gandhara. Rock edicts of Ashoka in nearby Shahbaz Garhi date from the Mauryan
period in the mid-200s BCE, and are written in the ancient Kharosthi script.
The nearby UNECO World Heritage Site of Takht-i-Bahi was established as a
monastery around 46 AD. The Bakhshali Manuscript, which contains the earliest
record of the use of the number 0 in the Indian Subcontinent, was found near
Mardan in 1891, and dates from the 3rd or 4th century CE. The nearby Kashmir
Smast caves served Buddhist hermit monks, and dates from the 4th to 9th century
CE.
Guides Memorial
During the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, Mardan was not a scene of heavy fighting as
many of the native troops had been disarmed by British forces. Mardan's famous
Guides' Memorial was established in 1892 to honour fallen soldiers who fought
during the 1879 Siege of the British Residency in Kabul. The city's Women's
Hospital was established in 1906.
In 1920, Mardan was visited by Sir Charles Monro, head of British armed
forces in British India. Until 1937, Mardan district was a part of Peshawar
district, when it was elevated to the status of its own independent district.
During the Viceroy's visit in 1946, large numbers of Mardan residents travelled
to Peshawar to participate in a Muslim League rally in favour of Pakistan's
establishment. The Mardan Museum was established in 1991 to showcase the
region's rich ancient history.
Other Cities in Khyber Pakhtukhwa :
Peshawar
Mardan
Takht Bhai
|
Swat Valley |
Besham |
Abbottabad
|
Dera Ismail Khan |
Haripur
Indus River
|
Peshawar Museum
| National Monuments in
Pakistan | Khyber pass
|
Bird watching in Kohistan
|
Baba Bullehshah The Sufi Saint
|
Old Images of Khyber
Pass
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