Description
Peshawar is situated in a broad valley near the eastern end of the historic Khyber Pass, close to the border with Afghanistan, Peshawar's recorded history dates back to at least 539 BC, making it the oldest city in Pakistan and one of the oldest in South Asia. Peshawar was the capital of the ancient Kushan Empire, and was home to what may have been the tallest building in the ancient world, the Kanishka stupa. It was then sacked by the White Huns, before the arrival of Muslim empires. The city was an important trading centre during the Mughal era before serving as capital for the Durrani Empire.
With a population of 1,970,042 according to the 2017 census, Peshawar is the largest city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the sixth-largest in Pakistan.