Besham | |
|---|---|
City | |
 Besham, Pakistan | |
 | |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Province |  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| District | Shangla |
| Elevation | 613 m (2,011 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
Besham (Urdu, Pashto: بشام; also known as Besham Qila) is a city in the Shangla District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Located on the right bank of the Indus River (locally known as Abasin), Besham serves as a major junction on the Karakoram Highway, that connects Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab with Gilgit-Baltistan, and crosses over into China's Xinjiang. Besham is also the eastern terminus of the under-construction E90 expressway, which will connect the city westward with Khwazakhela in Swat District. Besham is located around 60 kilometres (40 mi) east of Swat, 250 kilometres (160 mi) north of Rawalpindi-Islamabad, and 270 kilometres (170 mi) northeast of the provincial capital, Peshawar, Pakistan.
Historically, the place has been home to many Buddhist hermit as well as ancient historical sites. Besham was previously a part of the State of Swat and then Swat District, until the creation of Shangla District on 10 July 1995.