Peshawar

This article is about the city in Pakistan. For other uses, see Peshawar (disambiguation).
"Peshawari" redirects here. For other uses, see Peshawari (disambiguation).

Peshawar
  • پېښور
  • پشور
  • پشاور
City
Bab-e-Khyber
Cunningham Clock Tower
Bala Hissar
Mahabat Khan Mosque
Peshawar Museum
Islamia College University
Nickname: 
City of Flowers[1]
Peshawar is located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Peshawar
Peshawar
Location within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Peshawar is located in Pakistan
Peshawar
Peshawar
Location within Pakistan
Coordinates: 34°00′52″N 71°34′03″E / 34.01444°N 71.56750°E / 34.01444; 71.56750
Country Pakistan
Province Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
DistrictPeshawar District
Union councils92
Government
[5][6]
 • TypeMayor–council
 • BodyDistrict government
 • MayorZubair Ali[2] (JUI-F)
 • CommissionerMuhammad Zubair[3]
 • Deputy CommissionerAafaq Wazir[4]
Area
 • City215 km2 (83 sq mi)
 • Metro
1,257 km2 (485 sq mi)
Elevation
331 m (1,086 ft)
Highest elevation
450 m (1,480 ft)
Population
 (2023)[7]
 • City4,758,762
 • Rank6th, Pakistan
 • Density22,000/km2 (57,000/sq mi)
DemonymPeshawari
Time zoneUTC+5:00 (PKT)
Postal code
25000
Area code091 (+92)
LanguagesPashto, Hindko, Urdu
Websitecmgp.gkp.pk

Peshawar (/pəˈʃɑːwər/;[8] Pashto: پېښور [peˈχəwər] ⓘ; Hindko: پشور; [pɪˈʃɔːɾ] ⓘ; Urdu: پشاور [pɪˈʃɑːʋər] ⓘ) is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district population of over 4.7 million in the 2023 census.[9] It is the capital of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where it is the largest city.[10] It is situated in the north-west of the country, lying in the Valley of Peshawar. Peshawar is primarily populated by Pashtuns, who comprise the second-largest ethnic group in the country.[11][12]

Situated in the Valley of Peshawar, a broad area situated east of the historic Khyber Pass, Peshawar's recorded history dates back to at least 539 BCE, making it one of the oldest cities in South Asia.[13][14] The area encompassing modern-day Peshawar is mentioned in the Vedic scriptures; it was one of the principal cities of the ancient Gāndhāra. Peshawar served as the capital of the Kushan Empire during the rule of Kanishka[15][16][17] and was home to the Kanishka Stupa, which was among the tallest buildings in the ancient world.[18]

Peshawar was then ruled by the Hephthalites, followed by the Hindu Shahis, before the arrival of a variety of Muslim empires. The city was an important trading Centre of the Mughal Empire before becoming part of the Durrani Empire in 1747, after which it served as the Durrani winter capital from 1776 until the capture of the city by the Sikh Empire in 1823. In 1849, the city was captured by the East India Company and subsequently became part of British Raj, under whose rule it remained until the Partition of British India and subsequent independence of Pakistan in 1947.

  1. ^ "Peshawar – The city of flowers". The Nation. 2 March 2018. Archived from the original on 16 October 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  2. ^ "Major upset for PTI as JUI-F wins Peshawar mayor seat". Dawn. Pakistan. 21 December 2021. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  3. ^ "Hayatabad jogging track set to open". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 2 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  4. ^ "DC For Timely Completion Of Arrangements For General Elections". UrduPoint. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  5. ^ "KP's new LG system: structure, powers, and voting process". SAMAA TV. 17 December 2021. Archived from the original on 5 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  6. ^ "District Peshawar". Department of Local Government, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  7. ^ "Pakistan: Provinces and Major Cities – Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information". citypopulation.de. Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2020.
  8. ^ "Peshawar". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021.
  9. ^ "2023 Census KP" (PDF). Pakistan Bureau of Statistics.
  10. ^ "NWFP Introduction". Government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Archived from the original on 30 October 2007. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
  11. ^ "Peshawar, pakols and namkeen karahi". Aurora Dawn. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  12. ^ "PAKISTAN: THE PASHTUN LOSE PATIENCE". a2globalrisk.com. Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  13. ^ "Peshawar: Oldest Living City in South Asia". Dawn. 3 July 2010. Archived from the original on 8 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  14. ^ Nadiem, Ihsan H. (2007). Peshawar: Heritage, History, Monuments. Sang-e-Meel Publications. ISBN 978-969-35-1971-6.
  15. ^ Baloch, Sikandar Khan (2004). In the Wonderland of Asia, Gilgit & Baltistan. Sang-e-Meel Publications. p. 124. ISBN 9789693516142. Within the next decade, emerged the great kingdom of Gandhra under the great Kushan king Kaniskha (125-160 AD). The seat of his central government was Purushpura which is today known as Peshawar.
  16. ^ Chaurasia, Radhey Shyam (2002). History of Ancient India: Earliest Times to 1000 A.D. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. p. 148. ISBN 9788126900275. Kanishka's coins have been found as far as Ghaznipur and Gorakhpur. These point to the wide extent of his Indian dominion which stretched from Gandhara to Banaras. The eastern portion of this empire was governed by Mahakshatrapa and a Kshatrapa while the northern portion by military governors. He fixed his capital at Purushpura or Peshawar which he adorned with many noble buildings.
  17. ^ The Listener, Volume 39. British Broadcasting Corporation. 1948. p. 27. Of course the Kushan capital established by Kanishka in India was at Purushpura — Peshawar — not Mathura, where the Saka satraps had held sway and probably continued under the overlordship of the Kushans.
  18. ^ Le, Huu Phuoc (2010). Buddhist Architecture. Grafikol. ISBN 978-0-9844043-0-8. Archived from the original on 7 March 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2017.