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PESHAWAR, Nov 30 (APP):Standing before Bab-e-Khyber at Jamrud tehsil of Khyber district, the iconic gate marking the entrance to the historic Khyber Pass, 12-year-old Ibrahim Khan beams with pride as he visits the site with grandfather on Sunday.
“Seeing Bab-e-Khyber was always my dream,” he told APP as his eyes sparkling after watching the historic monument with national flag hoisting on top.
Dressed in traditional Shalwar Qameez with woollen sweater and Chitrali Chugha by her grandfather, young Ibrahim said, “My Baba Jan brought me here today, and it’s even more beautiful than I imagined, with the national flag hoisting sky-high on top of Bab-e-Khyber gate–a gateway to historic Khyber Pass.”
For visitors like Ibrahim, the Khyber Pass is not merely a rugged road rather it is a living museum without walls.
As high in the rugged folds of the Safed Koh mountain range where icy winds whisper tales of emperors, warriors, and wandering caravans, Khyber Pass passes between Pakistan and Afghanistan that still defines its importance in geopolitics besides unfolding history and primitive civilizations.
A symbol of Pakistan’s glorious past, the Khyber Pass remains a place where geography and history collide, and where every stone seems to echo with the footsteps of monarchs, invaders, and explorers who traversed it over the past 3,000 years.
Stretching 53 kilometers, the pass has served as a vital artery for trade, migration, and conquest. From Alexander the Great to the Mongols, from Persian kings to British colonial forces, this narrow ribbon of land has witnessed the rise and fall of world-changing empires.
“This historic pass has seen more history than most modern cities in South Asia. Being a gateway to subcontinent, Khyber pass continues to shape the history, civilizations and geopolitics of the region due to its strategic significance in all eras,” said Dr. Bakhtzada Khan, Assistant Director of Archaeology and Museums in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“It is not just a route but a palimpsest of empires, each era leaving behind cultural, political, and military imprints.”
He said how the British constructed the Khyber Railway in the early 20th century—an engineering marvel designed for military logistics. Even Winston Churchill, then a young British officer, once served here and wrote about the pass’s strategic importance.
At over 1,000 meters above sea level sits Landi Kotal, just seven kilometers from the Afghan border. Once a bustling stop for armies and traders, this dignified town has long served as a gateway between South and Central Asia.
“From Aryans to Mughals, every ruler who marched into the subcontinent passed through Landi Kotal via the Khyber Pass,” explains Dr. Bakhtzada.
The Achaemenid Empire incorporated the region in the 6th century BC, contributing to the spread of Gandhara culture.
Alexander’s forces encountered fierce resistance from local Afridi and Yousafzai tribes in 327 BC.
In 1001 AD, Mahmud of Ghazni used the pass to defeat Hindu ruler Jayapala reshaping regional history.
Later, Zaheeruddin Babur marched through the corridor before defeating Ibrahim Lodhi at Panipat in 1526, founding the Mughal Empire.
The Sikh Empire and later the British Raj also fortified the pass, stationing the famed Khyber Rifles to guard this strategic lifeline.
Beyond military campaigns, the Khyber Pass was a vital segment of the ancient Silk Road, facilitating the movement of goods, ideas, and people across continents. Buddhist monks, Hindu pilgrims, Sufi mystics, and European adventurers all once navigated its stony bends.
In the towns of Jamrud and Landi Kotal, remnants of this layered past such as forts, shrines, and colonial relics which are still stand watch over the hills.
“This region remains strategically and culturally important,” says Dr. Bakhtzada.
“We want to reintroduce it to the world not as a relic of war, but as a bridge of culture and tourism.”
With the project of Khyber Pass Economic Corridor advancing, officials envision transforming the passage into a thriving route not for conquerors, but for traders, tourists, historians, archaeologists, and storytellers.
According to Zahid Shinwari, former President of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), cross-border trade and tourism could significantly boost both Pakistan and Afghanistan’s economies provided peace prevails.
“With proper planning and development initiatives, the Khyber Pass could become Pakistan’s cultural and commercial lifeline to Central Asia,” he says.
Experts believed the area even holds potential for health and heritage tourism, given improved infrastructure and services.
But development and peace, they stress, must remain sustainable.
“We must preserve history while promoting progress. The local communities must be the first beneficiaries,” Zahid Shinwari emphasized.
As twilight descends over the jagged cliffs of the Khyber Pass, long shadows stretch across a road shaped by centuries of conflict, commerce, and cultural exchange.
From Alexander’s legions to modern-day convoys, this ancient artery remains etched by time and strengthened by struggle.
In a world marked by borders and geopolitical divides, the Khyber Pass offers a different perspective ie not as a line of separation, but as a timeless bridge connecting cultures and civilizations.
After all, as the pass itself reminds visitors that history does not end at a border rather it often begins there.