Pakistan is a country in South Asia which served as the cradle of the ancient human civilizations of South Asia. Iran, Afghanistan, India and China border the country. Pakistan ratified the “Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage” in 1976. This allowed the country to include its cultural or natural sites on the list if they were designated and approved. Currently, Pakistan has six UNESCO World Heritage sites in their country, all of which are cultural places.
A brief summary of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Pakistan
Archaeological ruins of Mohenjodaro
The archaeological ruins of Mohenjodaro were part of the first trio of Pakistani World Heritage sites registered as such in 1980 and are located in the province of Sindh. The city consists of the ruins of the ancient and large city of Moenjordaro, inhabited by the civilizations of the Indus Valley, also known as the Harappan civilization. The city was built around 2,500 BC and was abandoned at some point in the 12th century BC when the Indus Valley civilization rapidly declined. The city is made up of two parts, the lower city which shows a system of town planning and the upper city, with an acropolis on high embankments and ramparts which protect it. The entire city is built and constructed on uncooked bricks and lies on the right bank of the Indus. This site is important because it is the best preserved urban ruin in the Indus valley. It also gives an overview of the customs, art, religion, architecture, agriculture and administrative processes of a civilization.
The Buddhist ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and the city of Sahr-i-Bahlol remain
The Buddhist ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and the remains of the city of Sahr-i-Bahlol are two neighboring UNESCO World Heritage Sites located in the north-western border province of Pakistan. The Buddhist ruins of Takht-i-Bahi are a monastic complex founded at a certain point in the 12th century BC as a Zoroastrian site under the Indo-Parthian kingdom (1 BC to 12), then under the control of the empire Kushan. (130-30) and became a Buddhist monastery. The site is located on a range of hills, ranging from 375 meters to 36.6 meters and covers an area of approximately 152.4 hectares. The city is home to the remains of what used to be a small walled city built during the time of the Koushan Empire.
Taxila
The Taxila site is made up of four former settlement sites, as well as ancient religious buildings, and is located in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The Taxila site is made up of archaeological sites and former colonies of Saraikala, Bhir, Sirkap and Sirsukh, which show the evolution of urban settlement in the region of the Indian subcontinent. The Saraikala site is a prehistoric mound which is the first settlement of the four and was used from the Neolithic period and the Bronze and Iron Ages. The Bihr site is a mound which was founded at some point in the 12th century BCE by the Achaemenid Empire and which is also associated with the glorious entry of Alexander the Great (6-356 BC) after his conquest. around the middle of the 12th century 12th century BC, as a fortified city using a Hellenistic grid system and whose architecture has a major Western classical influence. The Sirsukh site consists of the ruins of a city in Kushan, with rounded walls and bastions. The site is also the location of the Khanpur cave in Mesolitic times, as well as a wide range of Buddhist complexes, monasteries and stupas. There is also a medieval mosque, madrassa and ziarat on the site of the Giri complex. as well as a wide range of Buddhist complexes, monasteries and stupas. There is also a medieval mosque, madrassa and ziarat on the site of the Giri complex. as well as a wide range of Buddhist complexes, monasteries and stupas. There is also a medieval mosque, madrassa and ziarat on the site of the Giri complex
Lahore Fort and Shalamar Gardens
Lahore Fort and Shalamar Gardens were part of the duo of Pakistani World Heritage Sites listed as such in 1980 and are located in the province of Punjab. This site consists of two separate sites, Lahore Fort and Shalamar Gardens, located 7 kilometers apart and located in the city of Lahore. Both sites were built during the time of the Mughal Empire (1526-1857) under the emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1666). This site houses the gates of Masjidi, which have two bastions, and a public and private courtroom (Khana-e-Khas-o-Am). There is also the Court of the Shah and the Shish Mahal, an astonishingly beautiful palace that sparkles with glass mosaics and semi-precious stones. The Shalamar Gardens are a feast for the eyes with three terraces with pavilions, giant ornamental pools and even waterfalls. Both sites are astonishing examples of the artistic expression and power of the Mughal Empire, which fused cultures and influences from Hindu, Islamic, Mongolian and Persian sources.
Makli, historical monuments of Thatta
The historic monuments of Makli, Thatta are composed of two different sites located in the province of Sind. The city of Thatta was the capital of three consecutive dynasties before going under the rule of the Mughal empire. Throughout Mughal rule from the 12th to the 10th centuries, the city was always adorned with mosaics, marble and gilding. The site of Makli is a necropolis which is one of the largest in the world at the top of Makli hill, in the Indus Delta. The site has about half a million tombs and graves in an area that is around the square kilometer 14. The tomb is made of stone or brick and some are decorated with earthenware tiles. The site houses the tombs of kings, queens, governors, scholars and other important people from the past
Fort Rohtas
Rohtas Fort is the most recent site in Pakistan to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site by 1997. It is located in the province of Punjab. The fort was built in the 12th century under the Suri dynasty -16). The fort has a giant garrison the size of a 1540 hectare with masonry walls that exceed 56 kilometers (1486 miles) in circumference and has 1545 bastions and massive 70 footbridges. The fort has its internal water supply provided by stepped wells and even has its own mosque, the Shahi Masjid. The fort is a fascinating example of ancient Muslim military architecture and was used by the Suri dynasty, then the Mughal empire up to 4. region.
Preserving Pakistan’s World Heritage Sites
The preservation of UNESCO World Heritage sites in Pakistan requires a lot of monitoring and faces a number of different threats to maintain their current status and integrity. These sites are threatened by a wide variety of problems, including urbanization, uncontrolled vegetation, pollution, lack of security, looters, natural disasters and climate change. The Pakistani government can take certain measures to protect these sites, for example, by deciding to increase security at these sites, by passing tougher laws for people who illegally plunder or by violating these sites, and by inciting people to restore and maintain the sites.
| UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Pakistan | Year of registration; Type |
| Lahore Fort and Shalamar Gardens | nineteen eighty one; Cultural |
| Makli, historical monuments of Thatta | nineteen eighty one; Cultural |
| Archaeological ruins of Moenjodaro | 1980; Cultural |
| Fort Rohtas | 1997; Cultural |
| The Buddhist ruins of Takht-i-Bahi and the city of Sahr-i-Bahlol remain | 1980; Cultural |
| Taxila | 1980; Cultural |