Located just a few miles on the outskirts of Islamabad is one of Pakistan’s most astonishing heritage sites, the fabled city of Taxila. Taken from the Sanskrit term “City of Cut Stone”, Taxila is a must-see location. Dating back several thousand years, it has witnessed some of the milestone events in the history of the subcontinent.According to tradition, the Mahabharata was first recited at Taxila – or Takshashila. The city witnessed some of the greatest figures of history going through it, including Darius I, Alexander the Great, Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka. Chanakya (Kautilya), Ancient India’s very own Machiavelli and an adviser to Chandragupta Maurya, is also said to have taught at the university in Taxila.A valuable site for tourists and students of history, Taxila was once a seat of Buddhist learning. Many come to pay respect to this place because of the great significance it holds for Buddhists everywhere, similar to what Al Azhar University means to the world’s Sunnis or what Qom and Najaf is to the Shias.
Courtesy: Sumaira Jajja
