PESHAWAR: To enhance the positive perception of Peshawar via art, culture, history, and heritage, the provincial directorate of archaeology and museums organized a nighttime excursion in partnership with the army and Tour Da Pekhawar.
The initiative’s primary goal, according to the organizers, is to experience the walled city’s sights and sounds in order to maximize tourism potential for both domestic and foreign travelers by means of an exciting nighttime excursion.
As it featured a trail of local heritage landmarks, cuisines, art, culture, history, and a peek into the city’s beautiful past, the majority of tourists thought that the heritage night excursion was a wonderful experience. One tourist said, “It felt like a trip back in time, to when the city was a center for storytellers, traders, musicians, and artists.”
Families, civil society participants, and tourists from the area were offered a nighttime excursion to see various historical locations while indulging in customary foods and drinks. The guests relished their ride in a historic “Bara Bus,” adorned with vibrant lights and truck art mosaics that transported them back to a bygone era when city people lived in harmony and tranquility.
The visitors began their nighttime journey at the Peshawar museum and ended it there after taking in the sights of Gor Khatri, the Sethi Museum, Qissa Khwani Bazaar, and the entire Peshawar Museum, including all of its galleries and divisions.
The historical sites looked lovely with bright lights and buntings adorning them.
During the briefing, Abdul Samad, the director of archaeology and museums, mentioned that Peshawar was the capital of the ancient Gandhara civilization and was the oldest city in South Asia.
For tourists, the walled city of Peshawar held immense significance and worth in terms of tangible and intangible legacy, as sights and sounds functioned as a veritable treasure trove, he continued.
He said that in order to boost tourism in the area, work on the heritage sites will be upgraded, beatified, and renovated even more quickly. KP, he claimed, had enormous promise for both domestic and international travel.
Mr. Samad announced that the program will be expanded to other regions of the province, where the majority of tourist attractions and historical sites would undergo renovations and reopen to both local and international visitors. He said that the city witnessed a unique event that was driven by the stakeholders’ joint efforts and that represented a critical step in restoring the country’s reputation for peace, social harmony, and hospitality.
Shahid Ali Khan, Shahabudin Khan and Abur Rahman Afridi, the trio of civil society, told this scribe that such initiatives would help them to explore and exploit the untapped potential of tourism and city’s rich cultural heritage. They said that despite militancy, Peshawarites exhibited resilience and courage.
It is important to note that a number of families from Mardan, Nowshera, Kohat, and Charasadda traveled to the city to take part in the night excursion in spite of the unfavorable weather.
This scribe was informed by Raheela Khan Begum, a resident of the Khyber tribal district, that she and her family relished the unique occasion. She said that these kinds of activities have to be held on a regular basis since they would draw tourists from overseas.
