Taxila

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Taxila: An Ancient City of Learning and Cultural Exchange

Taxila, also known as Takshashila, is a historical city located in the Pothohar region of Punjab, Pakistan. Situated approximately 25 kilometers (16 miles) northwest of the Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area, Taxila is a significant archaeological site that offers insights into various stages of urban development in the Indus Valley Civilization. The city has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1980 due to its rich history, cultural significance, and architectural importance.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

From the ancient Neolithic tumulus of Saraikala to the ramparts of Sirkap (2nd century B.C.) and the city of Sirsukh (1st century A.D.), Taxila illustrates the different stages in the development of a city on the Indus that was alternately influenced by Persia, Greece and Central Asia and which, from the 5th century B.C. to the 2nd century A.D., was an important Buddhist centre of learning.

UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site

Criterion (iii) : The ruins of four universally meaningful settlement sites at Taxila (Saraidala, Bhir, Sirkap, and Sirsukh) reveal the pattern of urban evolution on the Indian subcontinent through more than five centuries. Taxilia is the only site of this unique importance on the subcontinent.

Criterion (vi) : The Bihr mound is associated with the historic event of the triumphant entry of Alexander the Great into Taxila.

Encyclopedia Record: Taxila

Taxila or Takshashila is a city in the Pothohar region of Punjab, Pakistan. Located in the Taxila Tehsil of Rawalpindi District, it lies approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) northwest of the Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area and is just south of the Haripur District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

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