Peshawar

Peshawar (Urdu: پشاور‎),(Pashto: پېښور‎) is the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Peshawar is the largest city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and by the 1998 census was the ninth-largest city of Pakistan. Peshawar is a metropolitan city and the administrative centre and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated in a large valley near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, close to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar is irrigated by various canals of the Kabul River and by its right tributary, the Bara River.

Peshawar's recorded history goes back as far as at least 539 BC, making it the oldest living city in Pakistan and one of the oldest in South Asia.

History

Ancient Peshawar

Peshawar was known in Sanskrit as Puruṣapura (पुरूषपुर), literally meaning "city of men". It also found mention in the Zend Avesta as Vaēkərəta, the seventh most beautiful place on earth created by Ahura Mazda It was known as the "crown jewel" of Bactria and also held sway over Takshashila (modern Taxila). Being among the most ancient cities of the region between Central and South Asia, Peshawar has for centuries been a center of trade between Bactria, South Asia and Central Asia. As an ancient center of learning, the 2nd century BC. Bakhshali Manuscript used in the Bakhshali approximation was found nearby.

Peshawar (disambiguation)

Peshawar is the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Peshawar may also refer to:

Places

Other

See also

Peshawar District

Peshawar District (Urdu: ضلع پشاور‎) is in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, located at the north-west end of Pakistan about 160 km west of the federal capital Islamabad.

History

Peshawar has a geo-strategically important location and an enriched history. This city has seen the rise and fall of many civilizations. It was once the center of Gandhara civilization and has subsequently been ruled by Persians, Greeks, Buddhists, Kushans, Afghans, Mughals, Sikhs and the British. The original district of Peshawar was a district of the North-West Frontier Province of British India. At independence in 1947 the old Peshawar District became Peshawar Division, containing the current district of Peshawar. However, under the latest revision of Pakistan's administrative structure, promulgated in 2001, Peshawar was also given the status of a city district.

Administration

The district is represented in the provincial assembly by eleven elected MPAs who represent the following constituencies: