Bela, Pakistan

Bela
بݔلہ
Bela is located in Pakistan
Bela
Bela
Bela is located in Balochistan, Pakistan
Bela
Bela
Coordinates: 26°13′36″N 66°18′41″E / 26.2267°N 66.3113°E / 26.2267; 66.3113
CountryPakistan
ProvinceBalochistan
DistrictLasbela
TehsilBela
Elevation
88 m (289 ft)
Population
 • Estimate 
(2012)
20,119 [1]
Time zoneUTC+5 (PST)

Bela (Balochi: بݔلہ), (Sindhi: ٻيلو) is an important city of Lasbela District in the Balochistan province of Pakistan.[2] It is an ancient city in a historic track surrounded by hills above the Arabian Sea, nearly 180 km (110 mi) northwest of Karachi and 500 km (310 mi) south of Quetta. During the autumn of 325 BC, the settlement was part of the Asian campaign of Alexander the Great under the name Rhambacia (Greek: Ῥαμβακία).[3] After Alexander conquered the town, he commended the place and thought that if he built a city there it would become great and prosperous and he left Hephaestion behind to build it.[4] In 711 AD, it was part of Muhammad bin Qasim's campaign under the name Armabil.[5]

  1. ^ "Population of Bela, Pakistan". Mongabay. Archived from the original on 2013-10-11. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  2. ^ "Lasbela" (PDF). District Development Profile. Govt. of Balochistan. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 September 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2013.
  3. ^ Ashley 2004, pp. 344–345.
  4. ^ Arrian, Anabasis, 6.21
  5. ^ Elliot 1853, pp. 127–.