Peshawar

Peshawar is the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northwestern Pakistan, sitting in the fertile Peshawar Valley near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass. One of South Asia's oldest continuously inhabited cities, it has long served as a frontier gateway and trading crossroads between the Indian subcontinent, Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Historically known as Purushapura under the ancient Gandhara civilization and later a winter capital of the Kushan and Durrani empires, Peshawar preserves layers of Buddhist, Mughal, Sikh and British heritage. Landmarks include the 17th-century Mahabat Khan Mosque, Bala Hisar Fort, the historic Qissa Khwani Bazaar and the Peshawar Museum, which holds one of the world's finest collections of Gandharan Buddhist art.

The walled old city is a dense maze of bazaars and traditional wooden-balconied houses, best experienced around Qissa Khwani Bazaar, Chowk Yadgar and Sethi Mohallah. Modern districts such as University Town, Hayatabad and Saddar offer universities, hospitals, offices, shopping and restaurants, while the cantonment reflects the city's colonial-era military role.

As the provincial capital and a major regional centre, Peshawar is home to government institutions, the University of Peshawar, trade markets and small industries. Its food culture is distinctive, with specialities such as chapli kebab, Peshawari naan and dum pukht, alongside tea houses and Afghan-influenced cuisine.

For travellers, Peshawar provides a window into Pashtun culture and frontier history, a base for exploring the Khyber Pass region and nearby archaeological sites, and a hub for business, conferences and onward journeys across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.