The Valley of Peshawar (Pashto: د لوی پېښور وادي; Urdu: وادئ پشاور), or Peshawar Basin, historically known as the Gandhara Valley, is a broad area situated in the central part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The valley is 7,176 km2 (2,771 sq mi) in area, and is traversed by the Kabul River. It has a mean elevation of 345 metres (1,132 ft).[1] The valley takes its name from the city of Peshawar, which is situated at the western part of the valley close to Warsak Dam. To the west of the valley lies the Khyber Pass. The five most populous cities in the valley are Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda, and Nowshera.