PESHAWAR: The Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has accelerated the conservation and excavation work at the 2000-year-old Buddhist monastic site in Takht Bhai.

The relevant officials say the department has so far completed 20-25 per cent excavation work in Zone B of the Takht Bhai archaeological site, which is situated at an altitude of 500 meters and not only offers visitors a glimpse into the ancient times but also serves as a popular picnic and tourist spot.

During a training session arranged by the directorate in collaboration with Humanitarian Assistance and Facilitating Organisation in Takht Bhai, research officer of the archeology directorate Nawazuddin said the Buddhist site was included in the World Heritage List by the Unesco in 1980. He said the project, which had begun on July 1, 2017, and would conclude by the end of the current year, had different components such as conservation, archaeological work, cleaning and awareness.

Mr Nawazuddin said Zone A was a 2,000-year old Buddhist monastery, while Zone B was a residential area.

He added that the coins discovered from the area were from the period of Parthian king Gondophares in the first century AD.

He said people from different walks of life, including historians, archaeologists and tourists, visited the site, while Buddhists from across the world showed up in line with their religious beliefs.

“The visitors have to ascend around 300 steps on a hill to reach the archaeological wonder,” he said.

Official says site included in World Heritage List by Unesco in 1980

The official said the Buddhist civilisation had spread to other parts of the world from Gandhara state and that the Takht Bhai site was an ancient land and was very important for research purposes.

He said the conservation work was meant to promote a soft image of Pakistan in the rest of the world and that people from the country were known as people of Gandhara in the modern world.

Nawazuddin said the Buddhist civilization was destroyed by Hindus in the seventh century.

He said the ancient site of Gandhara civilisation was discovered in 1836 by a French army officer, General Cort, while excavation at the site had begun in 1872 during the British rule in the subcontinent.

“Each visitor is charged Rs20 for an entry ticket. For photographs at the site, a visitor can be charged Rs300, while bridal photography and commercial videography can cost up to Rs30,000 each,” he said.

The official said the department had initiated several projects to promote archaeological tourism and create awareness of the ancient era historic buildings and places in different parts of the province.

He said the department had expedited work on establishment of three new museums in Abbottabad, Kohat and DI Khan.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2018