I love history, and feel extremely privileged to be in a country that played a significant (if not pivotal) role in how history as we know it was shaped to where it is today. I feel it’s such a shame that a lot of the most interesting sites in Pakistan (as highlighted by UNESCO – SIX UNESCO World Heritage Sites here, my friends) are often overlooked due to the negative impressions people have of the country (primarily caused by international media). To be fair, there can be no smoke without fire – and Pakistan today probably ranks as one of the more in turmoil countries (politically); but if you do take the plunge, what you’ll find are incredible remnants of Pakistan’s diverse and extensive past, and a chance to explore the full historical richness and culture this country has to offer

Of Pakistan’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, two are found incredibly close to each other (and Islamabad) – namely Taxila and Takht-i-Bahi

Located ~40km from Islamabad, Taxila can be done first (as a day trip), followed by Takht-i-Bahi in the afternoon. Unfortunately, while Pakistan’s road infrastructure is AMAZING (thanks in large part to the government’s BUILD initiative), its public transport remains lackluster. As such, I’d advise you hire a car and driver for the day as you embark on this trip (don’t forget your trusty phone with 3G + Google Maps as well – for navigation purposes). I normally go with Avis, simply because it’s an internationally recognized brand (as a solo female traveler, it’s better to be safe than sorry)

Now you might be wondering why Taxila is so important (although the fact that it’s considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980 should’ve clued you in) – but essentially, this marvel you’re about to visit (if not literally, at least figuratively through my blog) is considered to be one of the most significant archeological sites in Asia. Back in its heyday, Taxila was an educational center for Buddhists (think equivalent od our university towns), and hence attracted pilgrims from all corners of the world.

Today, it’s important because it provides us an accurate representation of the pattern of urban evolution on the Indian subcontinent between the 5^th century BC and 2^nd century AD through the labyrinth of ruins composed of mosques, stoopas, and cities overlaid atop each other! Excited yet? I know I am!

Taxila Museum

From Islamabad, it’ll take you ~1 hour on the road before you reach Taxila. Along the way, you’ll have to pay highway toll (if I remember correctly, around PKR 100 maximum). I suggest you start your day at the Taxila Museum

Do check the operating hours to make sure it’s open when you arrive (note timings change depending on the seasons: summer and winter – see link above). I suggest you start here because it’ll give you an excellent understanding of the importance of Taxila (including a map of the most important ruins), as well as a better understanding of what to watch out for at the pertinent sites you’ll be visiting afterwards (I recommend Sirkap, Mohra Morado Stoopa and Monastery, Jaulian, and the Dharmarajika Stupa)

Taxila Museum is supposedly one of the best and well-maintained site museums in Pakistan (I can totally believe this!! I found the Lahore Museum very blah). It’s not huge – even though I read all the inscriptions, I finished in ~45 minutes. What made my time at the Museum extra special was the guide who took the time to explain the origins and life of Buddha; the importance of the Silk Road not just for trade but also for the exchange of ideas and innovations; and how the multi-cultural influences affected Taxila daily life in the form of their toys, pots, and ornaments. Note, it’s customary to tip your guide (I usually tip ~PKR 100-400 depending on how much I enjoyed the commentary) – this applies to ALL the sites I’ll be mentioning below as well. Alas, photography is prohibited so I can’t share that pleasure with you

Sirkap

After leaving Taxila Museum, it’s now time to head to Sirkap. There’s an infinite sense of sadness when you walk amongst the ruins of an ancient and powerful city that’s now all but forgotten

Gloomy thoughts aside, I figured I might as well share some fun facts I gleaned while here:

• There were seven successive phases to this city, with the Greek, Scythians, and Parthians building their city on the exact same place as the earthquake demolished it one after the other (you can still see bones and pottery shards sticking out of the dirt mounds)
• Islamabad (sector design) was patterned after Sirkap, who in turn patterned their streets after Athens. Imitation is the best form of flattery indeed!

Mohra Morado Stoopa and Monastery

From Sirkap, make your way to the Mohra Morado Stoopa and Monastery. It’s a bit tricky to get here – the pathway for cars is extremely narrow, but just trust in Google Maps and you’ll get there

Here it’s important for you to get a guide as you won’t otherwise get to see the stoopa this monastery is famed for! Essentially, the stoopa here is one of the few that still has almost all its details intact. (If you don’t pay the guide, he won’t open the door which protects the stoopa from the weather)

Jaulian

Once you’re done, it’s time to head to Jaulian! To get here, you need to climb 250+ steps – but it’s super worth it as you then get an incredible bird’s eye view of Taxila, not to mention a chance to get a glimpse of the best preserved monastery in Taxila… Jaulian!

Can you imagine – Jaulian was the place where sanskirat script was invented! How cool is that? Not only that, I think the monastery really helps bring to life how deeply these sites have been influenced by the many cultures of conquerors, passerbys, traders and the like – what you then get is a melting pot of Greek, Indian, Chinese, with a dash of Persian

Case in point (from left to right): Indian style Buddha, Monk style Buddha, and. Greek style Buddha – all in one row… who’s gobsmacked? Me (you can tell which culture influenced the Buddha style by his hairstyle

Dharmarajika Stupa

Next up, it’s time to head to Dharmarajika Stupa! Dharmarajika was built to enshrine the redistributed holy relics of Buddha. Apparently, many of the pieces I had (and you probably did too) lovingly admired at Taxila Museum came from this site

Takht-i-Bahi

It’s probably past noon by this point, but fear not! The adventure isn’t over. To cap off today’s otherworldly tour through history, we now make our way to Takht-i-Bahi. It takes ~2.5 hours to get to Takht-i-Bahi from Taxila – so I spent this time eating lunch as my car fairly sped through the highway!

Takht-i-Bahi is a Buddhaistic monastic complex founded in the early 1^st century – the translation of its name is essentially “Throne of Origins” which sounds badass. Because of its location on the crest of a high hill (which means ready your legs, there are some stairs to climb), Takht-i-Bahi has largely escaped plundering and is one of the most well-preserved monastic complexes globally. I found this tidbit quite interesting actually – guess robbers can be lazy too?

Here are the steps you have to climb to reach Takht-i-Bahi, and the imposing view the monastery presents to first-time visitors

There’s a small fortified city dating from the same period nearby called Sahr-i-Bahlol. By this time though, I figured I’d seen all the ruins I wanted to see (plus what can beat Sirkap), so I opted out. If you have the time and the interest, please do it and tell me how it goes!

Once you enter, you’ll see the typical layout for a monastery, as well as the main stoopa. Here’s a dramatic shot of the main stoopa taken from above!

Lastly, I played around with some of my phone settings to come up with these stunning shots of the area (don’t they look like watercolor paintings? Wish I’m this artistic!)

And that’s pretty much my cultural tour through Taxila and Takht-i-Bahi! Hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for my other Pakistan blogs coming your way!

Interested to know more? Read my other Pakistan blog, and enjoy!

• Pakistan: A logistics and travel guide for first-time travelers
• Lahore: Exploring Pakistan’s cultural capital
• Islamabad: Exploring Pakistan’s political capital
• Karachi: Exploring Pakistan’s business capital
• Day trips from Lahore and Islamabad: Exploring Pakistan’s North
• Wagah Ceremony: Celebrating Indo-Pakistani relations
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Reliving history and the beginnings of civilization