A City Layered with History
Peshawar sits in the broad Valley of Peshawar, just east of the Khyber Pass, and its streets carry the weight of empires. Buddhist monks walked here when the city was called Purushapura—the City of Men—and it served as the winter capital of the Kushan Empire. Alexander the Great subdued the valley in 327–26 BCE; Muslim empires made it a trading hub; the British built their colonial garrison here. Today the city is a vivid, layered palimpsest where you can move from a seventeenth-century mosque to a bazaar that still trades in the languages and goods of Afghanistan, from Buddhist archaeological remains to Victorian architecture built during the Raj.
The Old City and Its Bazaars
The heart of Peshawar is the old walled city, a warren of streets that rewards wandering. This is where the original Peshoris—the city's indigenous urban population—still maintain their presence, and where you'll find the character of the place concentrated. The Qissa Khwani Bazaar is the famous storytellers' bazaar, named for the merchants and poets who once gathered there. Nearby are Bazar-e-Kalan, Khyber Bazaar, and Clock Tower Square, where the Cunningham Clock Tower, built in 1900 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, anchors the streetscape. For a glimpse of Peshawar's architectural past, seek out Sethi Mohallah, a neighbourhood of seven mansions built by the influential Sethi family in the late nineteenth century. These houses display the elaborate wooden carvings and Central Asian style that mark the city's merchant heritage; some are open to visitors and show how the city's merchant class lived.
To see the city's religious plurality, visit the Mahabat Khan Mosque, built in 1630 during the reign of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. The Goraknath Temple, built in 1851, is one of the few surviving Hindu temples in the city. St. John's Church, opened in 1860, is a remnant of the colonial period. All Saints Church also stands as a witness to the city's Christian heritage.
Museums and Archaeological Layers
The Peshawar Museum holds artifacts from the Gandhara period, the Buddhist kingdoms that flourished here. The Peshawar Gorkhatri City Museum, located at Gorkhatri—a Mughal-era caravanserai that has become a public park—details the archaeological and ethnological history of the region. Bala Hissar Fort, whose name means "elevated or high fort" in Persian, is one of the most historically significant sites in the city; Chinese Buddhist traveler Hiuen Tsang noted a royal residence here in 630 CE. The Sphola stupa, a second-century Buddhist structure from the Kushan Empire era, remains in Zarai village on the Khyber road, though visiting requires permission from the Khyber agency.
Food and Drink
Peshawar's food is built on meat and spice. Chapli Kabab—a flat beef kebab—is the signature dish, and Jalil Kabab House near the Hayatabad entrance is the most popular place to eat it. Namak Mandi, near Shoba Bazaar, serves Peshawar's characteristic mutton prepared as roast, barbecue, and karhai. Clock Tower Food Street offers traditional, spicy local dishes. Faluda, a sweet dish, appears in the bazaars, especially at Qisa-Khwani Bazaar. Samosa and pakora are available everywhere and ideal for eating while walking. The city is known for Kawa, a green tea with a unique flavour, usually served sweet. Sharbat-e-Sandal, a non-carbonated drink that appears in summer markets, has a yellowish-green transparent colour and is served ice cold—look for the black seeds floating in it.
Seasons and Practical Approaches
The famous Kulfa—a type of frozen dessert—appears from April through September, when hot weather brings demand for cooling treats. The city is accessible by taxi and rental vehicles (jeep or pickup hire is available at low rates). In summer, hiking tours to the surrounding mountains are organised by travel agents at local hotels. The Khyber Train Safari offers an experience of the pass itself. Shopping requires bargaining in most bazaars, though modern plazas like Dean's Trade Centre offer fixed prices. The old town is the place to find Pakistani and Afghan handicrafts; Shafi Market in the Sadar area specializes in cloth and textiles. Note that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a dry state, making alcohol difficult to obtain.
Peshawar is not a city of single highlights but of accumulated texture—centuries of conquest and settlement visible in stone, in street names, in the faces and languages of its residents. The journey through its bazaars and past its monuments is a journey through South Asian history itself.