Taxila
Pakistan · Punjab · 550 m
Description
Taxila was a city of the Gandhara civilisation on the road from the Ganges to Central Asia, and UNESCO listed its ruins in 1980 as one of the first Pakistani sites on the list. What is protected is not one site but more than a dozen spread over thirty kilometres, from the Bhir Mound of the sixth century BCE through the Greek grid city of Sirkap to the monasteries of Jaulian and Mohra Muradu on their hilltops. The Dharmarajika stupa is the largest single monument. The museum holds the Gandharan Buddhas found in all of them. Alexander's army passed through on the way east and the city surrendered without a fight.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 2 days (optimal 1 day)
Travel season
Best time to visit: March – April or October – November
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Taxila Museum and its Gandhara Buddhas
- Dharmarajika stupa
- Jaulian monastery on its hill
- Greek grid city of Sirkap
- Mohra Muradu monastery
- Bhir Mound, the oldest layer
- Stucco relief work on the monastery walls
- Sirsukh, the Kushan walled city
- Hasan Abdal and the Sikh gurdwara Panja Sahib(Day trip)
Getting there
- Nearest airports:
- ISB
- Train stations:
- Taxila Cantonment Junction