The only Mughal Mosque in Andar Shehr in Peshawar to survive the depredation of the sikhs, its entrance a narrow gateway between jewellery shops. Built in the 1670s, this beautifully proportioned Mughal structure, named after a regional governor who served under both Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, is orthodox in design. Its open courtyard has an ablution pond in the middle and a single row of rooms around the sides. The prayer hall occupies the west side, flanked by two tall minarets. According to the turn-of-the-century Gazetteer for N.W.F.P, the minarets were frequently used in Sikh times "as a substitute for the gallows" by General Avitabile, an Italian military advisor to Ranjit Singh.. A fire that raged through the Andar Shehr Bazaar in 1895 (the Gazetteer continues) failed to destroy the mosque thanks only to the "unremitting efforts of the faithful". The interior of the prayer hall is sheltered beneath three low fluted domes and is lavishly and colorfully painted with floral and geometric designs.
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.
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.
18 kilometer (11, miles) from Peshawar and at the mouth of the Khyber Pass, is as far as you can go without a permit. 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 famous Sikh general Hari Singh died and is buried here. The modern stone arch spanning the road dates from 1964. There is also an arch, the Bab-e-Khyber (gateway to the Khyber) which dates from 1964. There is a viewing platform for visiting dignitaries and information about the pass on a nearby wall.
Islamia College, which was the pioneer national institution that lighted the torch of enlightenment in this region, 63 years ago. was founded in 1913 to educate the sons of Pathan chiefs. if the elegant Mughal-Gothic hall looks familiar, you may have noticed it on the hundred-rupee note. The college formed the nucleus of the University of Peshawar when it was founded in 1950. Various research departments in the area include the Pakistan Islamia College Academy for Rural Development and the Pakistan Forest Institute
POLITICAL HISTORY OF PAKISTAN
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