Sights and Sounds of Pakistan: Peshawar Part-2

Sights and Sounds of Pakistan: Peshawar Part-2

When the British built a paved road through the Khyber Pass, they needed to build numerous forts and pickets to guard it. These pickets can still be seen along the road to Torkham, the Pakistan-Afghanistan border town.

While in Peshawar, and specially the inner city, one is obsessed with the aroma of roasted meat and tobacco smoke. Until mid-fifties, like Lahore and Multan, the city was enclosed within a city wall and sixteen gates. Of the old city gates the most famous
was the Kabuli Gate but only the name remains now.

Peshawar is also rich in heritage of old buildings, built mostly of unbaked bricks set in wooden frames to guard against earthquakes and beautifully carved ornamental wooden balconies, doorways and windows. Some still survive despite the quest for demolishing
old buildings and replacing these with towering shopping malls and business centers.

The dress code of Peshawar or for that matter the entire frontier province is rather free and easy in loosely stitched trousers and shirts with turbans as head gear. North and south of Peshawar spreads the vast tribal area where the biggest tribal society
in the world has its abode.

Pathans are very religious and are faithful Muslims – this fine blend of martial and religious character is due to heroes like Khushhal Khan Khattak, the warrior poet and Rehman Baba, also a poet of Pashto language.

Without mention of Qissa Khawani Bazaar (located in the heart of city) description of Peshawar remains incomplete.  In olden days, this was the site of camping ground for caravans and military adventures, where professional story-tellers recited ballads
and tales of war and love to throngs of traders and soldiers. Although the traditional story-tellers are thing of the past, but still people from everywhere throng the crowded street.

It has what an old city must have, warmth and traditional green tea over which terms of business are settled. Shops here abound in eastern delicacies and one may find many colourful fruit shops and famous "Chapli Kabab" shops – a delicacy of Peshawar. Leather
goods vendors proudly sell typical footwear, the Peshawari "Chappals" or sandals, belts, holsters and bandoliers etcetera.

Another landmark of Peshawar city is the
mosque Mahabat Khan – built by two times Mughal governor of Peshawar Mahabat Khan in 1670 AD. The mosque is a fine specimen of Mughal architecture of Emperor Shah Jahan’s period.

The interior of the prayer chamber has been beautifully decorated with floral work and calligraphy. The mosque was nearly destroyed by fire in 1898 AD but an extensive renovation of the mosque gave back its glory.

To be continued…

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Posted by Naveed A Bari on Apr 27 2012. Filed under Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry