The imposing Bala Hisar Fort and its bleak ramparts still appear to monitor movement along the Grand Trunk Rd. Babur first built a fort here in 1526 after capturing Peshawar. It was a royal residence for the Afghan Durrani dynasty before being captured, trashed, and in 1834, rebuilt in mud by the Sikhs (replaced by brick by the British). It's now the headquarters of the Frontier Corps. Access inside is limited, but there's a small museum and great views over the city from the ramparts.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.74 MILES
Housed in a glorious Victorian Mughal-Gothic hall across the tracks from the Old City, the Peshawar Museum has the largest collection of Gandharan art in…
0.24 MILES
West of Chowk Yadgar is Mahabat Khan Mosque, the city's finest mosque, built in 1630 by the governor of Peshawar under Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, and…
0.39 MILES
East from Chowk Yadgar the road forks beneath the four-tiered Cunningham Clocktower, built at the turn of the 20th century for Queen Victoria's Diamond…
0.67 MILES
A caravanserai in Mughal times and the governor's mansion under the Sikhs, it also contains a neglected Hindu temple. Archaeological excavations in its…
0.5 MILES
To the south of Pipal Mandi is All Saints Church, adapted from a former mosque in 1883 and still correctly oriented towards Mecca. A bird market is nearby.
Nearby Peshawar attractions
0.24 MILES
West of Chowk Yadgar is Mahabat Khan Mosque, the city's finest mosque, built in 1630 by the governor of Peshawar under Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, and…
0.39 MILES
East from Chowk Yadgar the road forks beneath the four-tiered Cunningham Clocktower, built at the turn of the 20th century for Queen Victoria's Diamond…
0.5 MILES
To the south of Pipal Mandi is All Saints Church, adapted from a former mosque in 1883 and still correctly oriented towards Mecca. A bird market is nearby.
0.67 MILES
A caravanserai in Mughal times and the governor's mansion under the Sikhs, it also contains a neglected Hindu temple. Archaeological excavations in its…
0.74 MILES
Housed in a glorious Victorian Mughal-Gothic hall across the tracks from the Old City, the Peshawar Museum has the largest collection of Gandharan art in…