Banbhore, Bambhore, Bhanbhore or Bhambhore (; ) is a city dating to the 1st century BCE located in modern-day Sindh, Pakistan. The city ruins lie on the N-5 National Highway, east of

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

. It dates back to the Scytho-Parthian era and was later controlled by Muslims from the 8th to the 13th century, after which it was abandoned. Remains of one of the earliest known mosques in the region dating back to 727 AD are still preserved in the city. In 1958, a major program of excavations at an early Islamic site of Banbhore was launched by the Department of Archaeology under the direction of F. A. Khan which continued until 1964. In 2004, Department of Archaeology and Museums Pakistan submitted the site for UNESCO

World Heritage Sites World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...

Location

Bhanbhore is situated on the northern bank of Gharo creek, about east of Karachi in the

Thatta District Thatta District (, ) is located in the southern area, locally called ''Laar'', of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Its capital is Thatta. It is home to a large necropolis of Makli. In 2013, several talukas were separated to form the new Suj ...

of Sindh, Pakistan. The city ruins are located on the N-5 National Highway between Dhabeji and Gharo.

History

The city of Bhanbhore dates from the 1st century BC to the 13th century AD. Archaeological records reveal remnants of three distinct periods on the site: Scytho- Parthian (1st century BC to 2nd century AD), Buddhist (2nd century AD to 8th century AD), and early Islamic (8th century AD to 13th century AD). The city was gradually deserted after the 13th century due to change in the course of the

Indus The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans- Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in the Western Tibet region of China, flows northwest through the dis ...

. Some archaeologist and historians suggest that Bhanbhore is the historical city of

Debal Debal (also called Daybul, Daibul or Dēwal) was a commercial town and an ancient port in Sindh, now a province of Pakistan. The exact location of the town has been difficult to determine. The proposed identifications with Karachi, Thatta, and ...

, which the Arab general

Muhammad bin Qasim Muḥammad ibn al-Qāsim al-Thaqafī (; –) was an Arabs, Arab military commander in service of the Umayyad Caliphate who led the Muslim conquest of Sindh (and Punjab, part of ancient Sindh), inaugurating the Umayyad campaigns in India. His m ...

conquered in 711–712 after defeating

Raja Dahir Raja Dahir (663 – 712 CE) was the last Hindu ruler of Sindh (in present-day Pakistan). A Brahmin ruler, his kingdom was invaded in 711 CE by the Arab Umayyad Caliphate, led by Muhammad bin Qasim, where Dahir died. According to the Chach Nama, ...

, the last Hindu ruler of Sindh. However, this identification has not yet been confirmed, though numerous research and excavation works have been carried out to link the two cities. Preliminary excavations in the area were first done by Ramesh Chandra Majumdar in 1928 and later by Leslie Alcock in 1951. Pakistani archaeologist Dr F. A. Khan conducted extensive studies and excavations in the site from 1958 to 1965. In March 2012, the Culture Department of Government of Sindh organised the first International Conference on Bhanbhore, where different experts and archaeologists presented their research on the site. Bhanbhore may also have been known as Barbari or Barbaricon (Βαρβαρικόν) to the

Greeks Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...

and through the centuries, but it has not yet been proven that these historical cities are the same.

Ruins

Archaeological findings show that the city consisted of an enclosed area surrounded by a stone and mud wall. The citadel was divided into eastern and western sections by a fortified stone wall in the center. The eastern part contains ruins of a mosque with an inscription dating to 727 AD, sixteen years after the conquest of Sindh, indicating the best-preserved example of the earliest mosques in the region. The remains of the mosque were discovered in 1960. Remains of houses, streets, and other buildings have been found both within and outside the citadel. Contemporary stone buildings from the three periods are also uncovered in the area including a palatial stone building with semi-circular shape, a temple, possibly from the Buddhist period or earlier, and a mosque. Three gateways to the citadel were also uncovered during excavations.

Bhanbhore Port

Bhanbhore was a medieval port city deriving its wealth from imported ceramic and metal goods, an industrial sector, and trade. The city was strategically located at the mouth of the

, linking it with rest of the

Indo-Scythians The Indo-Scythians, also known as Indo-Sakas, were a group of nomadic people of Iranic Scythian origin who migrated from Central Asia southward into the present-day regions of Afghanistan, Eastern Iran and the northwestern Indian subcontinent: p ...

and

Indo-Parthian The Indo-Parthian kingdom was a Parthian kingdom founded by Gondophares, and active from 19 CE to c. 226 CE. At their zenith, they ruled an area covering parts of eastern Iran, various parts of Afghanistan and the northwest regions of the Indian ...

s and international traders in the Indian Ocean. Archaeological findings show a half-submerged anchorage structure with solid stone foundation, which may have been used for berthing cargo boats. However, the port was abandoned when the Indus river shifted its position and the creek was silted.

World Heritage Site

The Port of Bhanbhore was submitted for induction in World Heritage Sites by the Department of Archaeology and Museums of Pakistan in January 2004. It is currently in the tentative list under the criteria iv, v, and vi of the cultural category.

Gallery

File:North wall of Banbhore Fort.jpg, North wall of Bhanbhore Fort File:Banbhore-30.jpg, Banbhore Museum: excavated Shiva Linga File:Well in Banbhore Fort.jpg, An old well in Bhanbhore Fort File:Gate of Bhanbore Fort.jpg, South Gate of Bhanbore Fort, where the

entered the Fort File:Banbhore Museum 8 - panoramio.jpg, Banbhore Museum: seize of Bhanbore Fort by Muhammad bin Qasim File:Grand Mosque at Banbhore.jpg, Floor of the Bhanbhore Mosque, dating back 727 AD File:South wall of Banbhore Fort.jpg, South wall of Bhanbhore Fort File:North Wall of Fort.jpg, Tower of North wall

References

External links

* Sama Faruqi
Resolving the mystery of an ancient site in Sindh
Dawn (Herald magazine), Published 23 September 2016. {{Authority control World Heritage Sites in Sindh Archaeological sites in Sindh Tourist attractions in Sindh Thatta District