Heritage tourism: A driving force to bolster economy, promote interfaith harmony.

Known as the home to ancient civilizations of Mohenjo Daro (2500 BC) of the Indus Valley Civilization and Buddhist Ruins of Takht Bhai (Ist CE) of Gandhara Civilization, Pakistan is a unique country, full of fairy tales havelis, dizzyingly beautiful minarets, historical forts, elaborate mausoleums and ancient archaic ruins, leaving in erasable traces on the minds and in hearts of millions of visitors every year.

Following the reopening of the tourism sector by the incumbent government in the wake of significant reduction in COVID-19 cases in Pakistan on August 7, the tourists thronged to archaeological rich KP to explore around 2,000 heritage sites and 30,000 relics of the Gandhara Civilization.

The Bhuddist Ruins of Takht Bahi (Throne of Origins) and Neigbouring City Remains at Sahr-i-Bahlol and Jamal Ghari in Mardan included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1980, was also attracting thousands of tourists to explore this architectural wonder before moving to the scenic Swat, Dir, Chitral, Shangla and Malakand.

The monastic complexes of the ruins are spectacularly positioned on various hilltops ranging from 36.6 meters to 152.4 meters height with a covered area of about 33 hectares.

The monastery was in continuous use till 7th century (CE) composed of an assemblage of buildings constructed of stone on Gandhara patterns in diaper style using local dressed and semi-dressed stone blocks set in a lime and mud mortar.

The Neighbouring City Remains at Sahr-iBahlol located in a five kilometers distance from Takht Bhai's monastery, was a small ancient fortified town of Kushan period.

It was constructed on an elongated mound of nine meters height on 9.7 hectares surrounded by portions of a defensive wall in diaper style characteristic dates back to the first two or three centuries (BC).

The boundaries of Sahr-i-Bahlol are well defined with a part of fortification walls still intact.

Both these historical sites had been declared as protected monuments under an Ancient Preservation Act (1904) of the colonial era and Antiquity Act (1975) of the Government of Pakistan.

To control urbanization at Bahlol, the KP government has declared the entire mountain area of 445 hectares as 'Archaeological Reserve.' Two new museums have been constructed in Abbottabad and DI Khan and work on two others in Kohat and Haripur districts were expedited.

Upon completion, the number of museums would rise to 16 in KP. The Cultural Heritage Trail project has been completed...