Being the hub of Buddhism and the Gandhara civilisation, a visit to the archaeological sites in Taxila is a must to learn about the Buddhist religion, lifestyle, art and culture.
Taxila is about an hour's drive from Islamabad. Ideally, the first stop is the Taxila Archaeological Museum, which was founded in 1918 by Lord Chelmsford, the viceroy and governor of British India. It is one of the finest museums in Pakistan and reflects the cultural history and varied achievements of the people of Taxila with special focus on the Gandhara civilisation.
The museum is divided into three main halls and a small jewellery room. Over 7,000 rare and precious objects are displayed in the museum.
The curator of the museum will brief you about the museum and the Gandhara civilisation and also provide you with information about archaeological sites, which are spread across a few kilometres around the museum. He will also explain why these sites are important for Buddhists.
Bhir Mound
The oldest historic settlement of the Gandhara civilisation (6th to 2nd centuries BC) is known as the Bhir Mound. It is located on a small plateau near the western valley of Taxila. The remains of Bhir Mound lie close to the museum and the Taxila railway station. In its prime, the city was surrounded by a rampart, made from unbaked brick, mud and wood. The artefacts discovered were indigenous items such as irregular punch-marked coins, flat punch-marked bent coins, Indian terracotta statuettes and jewellery, and artefacts of foreign origin.
Sirkap
The Bactrian Greeks founded this second largest fortified city of Taxila (2nd century BC to 2nd century AD). This city was built on a rectangular grid pattern.
The excavations, covering 2,000 feet by 800 feet, revealed a fortified wall with rectangular bastions on the sides of the polygonal at the corners.
Other remains include some spectacular buildings, houses of commoners — both religious as well as secular — the market place, the royal palace, a shrine of the double-headed eagle, an apsidal temple and a Jain temple.
The plan and layout of the city clearly show Hellenistic influences.
Sirsukh
Sirsukh, (2nd to 5th centuries AD) the third city of Taxila, is located about 1.6km northeast of Sirkap. It was built by the great king, Kanishka, in a slightly irregular rectangular shape.
Not much of the third city has been excavated. The antiquities discovered here include coins, pottery, sculptures and seals.
