ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is a South Asian nation that served as the cradle of ancient civilizations in the region. It shares borders with Afghanistan, Iran, India, and China. In 1976, Pakistan ratified the “Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage,” making it eligible to nominate cultural and natural sites for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Currently, Pakistan has UNESCO World Heritage Sites, all of which are cultural locations.
Mohenjodaro Archaeological Ruins
The Mohenjodaro Archaeological Ruins were among the first three Pakistani sites to be inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1980. Located in the Sindh province, these ruins belong to the ancient city of Moenjodaro, which was part of the Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan Civilization. Established around 2,500 B.C., the city was eventually abandoned in the 19th century B.C. as the civilization declined.
The city is divided into two parts: the lower town which demonstrates early town planning, and the upper town, featuring an acropolis built on high embankments. The entire town, constructed from unbaked bricks, is located on the right bank of the Indus River. It is one of the best-preserved urban ruins of the Indus Valley and provides valuable insight into the customs, art, religion, architecture, sanitation, agriculture, and administrative processes of this ancient civilization.
Taxila
The Taxila site comprises four ancient settlement sites and other buildings, located in Punjab Province of Pakistan. The site illustrates the evolution of urban settlement in the subcontinent through its archaeological remains. The four settlement sites are Saraikala, Sirkap, Bhir, and Sirsukh. Saraikala is a prehistoric mound used from the Neolithic period through the Bronze and Iron Ages. Bhir was founded in the 6th century B.C. by the Achaemenid Empire and is associated with Alexander the Great’s conquest.
Sirkap was established in the 2nd century B.C. as a fortified city with a Hellenistic grid layout. Sirsukh is the ruin of a Kushan city, characterized by its walls and rounded bastions. The site also includes the Khanpur cave from the Mesolithic period and various Buddhist complexes, monasteries, stupas, and a medieval mosque, madrassa, and ziarat at the Giri complex.
Takht-i-Bahi Buddhist Ruins and Sahr-i-Bahlol City Remains
The Takht-i-Bahi Buddhist Ruins and Sahr-i-Bahlol City Remains are two nearby sites in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, inscribed together as a single UNESCO World Heritage site. The Takht-i-Bahi Buddhist Ruins is a monastic complex founded in the 1st century B.C. as a Zoroastrian site under the Indo-Parthian Kingdom. It later came under the control of the Kushan Empire and became a Buddhist monastery.
Situated on hills ranging from 36.6 meters to 152.4 meters in height, the site covers an area of approximately 33 hectares. The Sahr-i-Bahlol City Remains include the remnants of a small fortified town from the Kushan period, built on a mound that reaches 9 meters at its highest points and surrounded by remains of defensive walls.
Lahore Fort and Shalamar Gardens
The Lahore Fort and Shalamar Gardens, located in Punjab Province, were inscribed as World Heritage Sites in 1980. Both sites are situated in Lahore, 7 kilometers apart. Built during the height of the Mughal Empire under Emperor Shah Jahan, these sites exemplify the artistic expression and power of the Mughal era.
The Lahore Fort features magnificent marble palaces and mosques adorned with gilt and mosaics, including the Masjidi Gates, Public and Private Audience Halls, and the Shish Mahal, a stunning palace with glass and semi-precious stone mosaics. The Shalamar Gardens, with their three terraces, ornamental ponds, and waterfalls, are equally impressive.
Rohtas Fort
Rohtas Fort, the most recent site in Pakistan to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage site (1997), is located in Punjab Province. Built in the 16th century by Sher Shah Suri during the Suri dynasty, the fort features a massive garrison covering 70 hectares, with masonry walls stretching over 4 kilometers in circumference.
It contains 68 bastions, 12 large gateways, its own water supply from stepped wells, and the Shahi Masjid. The fort is an outstanding example of early Muslim military architecture and was used by the Suri Dynasty, the Mughal Empire, and later the Durrani and Sikh rulers.
Makli, Thatta Historical Monuments
Located in the Sindh Province, the Makli, Thatta Historical Monuments encompass two sites. Thatta, once the capital of three successive dynasties, was adorned with mosaics, marble, and gilt during Mughal rule from the 14th to 18th centuries.
The Makli site, a necropolis on Makli Hill near the Indus River delta, is one of the largest in the world, covering around 10 square kilometers. It contains approximately half a million tombs and graves, including those of kings, queens, governors, scholars, and other notable figures, some of which are decorated with glazed tiles.
Preservation of Pakistan’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites
The preservation of Pakistan’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites requires constant monitoring and faces various challenges, including urbanization, uncontrolled vegetation, pollution, natural disasters, and climate change.
