Sights in Balochistan
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Archaeological Museum of Balochistan
This small but well-kept Archaeological Museum of Balochistan, also known as Quetta Museum, is tucked away just east of Mizan Chowk. The galleries display figurines from Moenjodaro in Sindh province, pottery pieces from sites in Balochistan, and Stone Age implements from the Zhob, Quetta and Kalat Valleys. Despite the name, the museum isn't just about archaeology. There's also a stock of militaria, including a sword - with bloodstains still visible - used in 1919 to kill a British commander.
Other galleries within the complex exhibit Qurans (one written in the hand of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb), manuscripts and calligraphy. Some dusty old photos give a fascinating glimpse …
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Geological Survey of Pakistan Museum
Adjacent to Balochistan University is the surprisingly interesting Geological Survey of Pakistan Museum. It houses a remarkable collection of geological and palaeontological items, with some particularly impressive fossil remains dating back as far as 500 million years. Prize exhibits include remnants of the giant Baluchitherium (a large, 25-million-year-old land mammal), a 47-million-year-old 'walking whale' and a collection of meteorite fragments.
Seven galleries run the gamut from gems and fossils to astrogeology. It's worth asking the staff for a guided tour, as not all exhibits are brilliantly labelled.
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Pir Gheib
About 24km beyond Mach, after passing several coalmines, a rough track running right off the main road leads to Pir Gheib. This beautiful rock pool is fed by a cascade and is surrounded and enclosed by cliffs and trees. There's another pool with calmer waters slightly downstream. Near the pool is a small shrine to a saint. Foreigners need a special permit to come to both the shrine and Pir Gheib - for the latest details ask at the PTDC office in Quetta.
With your own vehicle, a day trip from Quetta is just about feasible.
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Sibi Museum
In 1878, after an earlier assault on the town in 1841, the British captured Sibi and renamed it Sandemanabad, for Robert Sandeman. The most imposing of the extant buildings from the British era is the 1903 Queen Victoria Memorial Hall, now named Jirga Hall. It is so named because it was the assembly chamber for the British and the leading tribal notables during the annual jirga (council of tribal elders) held during the Sibi Mela.
It now houses the small archaeological and historical Sibi Museum.
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Command & Staff College Museum
The Command & Staff College Museum has a small private collection built up during the days when the then Indian Staff College was the Raj's answer to West Point. Field Marshal Montgomery, WWII hero of El Alamein, was an instructor here. The museum has a small but interesting collection of militaria, paintings and photos, but you need to be an army buff to get the most from a visit. Because this is a private collection you should arrange a visit through the PTDC office. Take ID along with you.
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Quaid-i-Azam Residence
The British weren't the only ones to appreciate Ziarat - so too did Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the Quaid-i-Azam (Great Leader). Jinnah spent his last days here in 1948, suffering from the cancer that killed him. The Quaid-i-Azam Residence is the former residency of the agent to the governor general, built in 1882. The furniture is left just as it was when Jinnah stayed here before returning to Karachi to die.
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Ziarat
Pilgrims come here to visit the Ziarat (shrine) of the famous Muslim saint Mian Abdul Hakim (who is also known as Kharwari Baba), who fled here from Kandahar in Afghanistan. The shrine is 3km from the Quaid-i-Azam Residence.
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Mir Chakar's Fort
The 15th-century ruins of Mir Chakar's Fort lie on the outskirts of Sibi. There's also an old caravanserai (traditional accommodation for camel caravans), the Sohbat Serai, constructed by tribal chief Sadar Sohbat Khan.
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Askari Park
More a family theme park, you can get out of the city here and enjoy some open space and clean air. There's a jogging track and children's park along with the Gardenia Resort hotel and restaurant.
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