Swabi (Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa)
Swabi is located at the distance of 105 km from Peshawar and between the Kabul River and the Indus River. It is accessible through Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway M1 and then following the Swabi-Jahanghira Road. It is bounded by Buner, Mardan, Attock, Nowshera, and Haripur districts.
The land of Swabi district is fertile due to various streams and the Indus River tributaries. So agriculture is the main profession in Swabi. Various important cash crop such as Tobacco, sugarcane, wheat and maize are produced here. It is also famous for different fruits such as watermelon, peaches and apricots.
There are number of streams in which Maini is too much famous. The Kabul River and the Indus River are the main source of water in Swabi district. The Indus River and the Kabul River join at Kund, where blue colour of the Indus River and muddy brown waters of the Kabul River flow side by side, that attracts number of tourists at this spot.
Kund Park is located in Nowshera to conserve Asian black bears and Himalayan brown bears. Park has an easy access from Swabi district. There are some other animals such as leopards and deer as well as some parrots, pheasants, ducks, peafowls, and cranes. It is situated on the G. T. Road between the confluence point of the Kabul River and the Indus River. To access the Kund Park, move on the Park road from Sawabi-Jahngera Road. It is also a good place to view the magnificent confluence of the Kabul River and the Indus River.
There are number of archaeological sites in Swabi such as Hund village from where Alexander the Great crossed the Indus River, Rani Ghat - rains of famous palace of that era, etc.
Hund is situated on the right bank of the Indus River at a distance of 17 km from Swabi City. It is the site of Alexander the Great's crossing the Indus River in 327 BC and also known for several Gandhara ruins. Hund Museum, an archaeology museum, is also located there to display several statues and things related to Gandhara civilization. Hund was the last capital of Gandhara under the Hindu Shahi rulers in the beginning of 11th century. Mahmud of Ghazni defeated Anandapal, the last ruler of Hindu Shahi in Gandhara. The remains of the fort and gates of walled city are still visible in the town.
Ranigat is a site of the second century Buddhist ruins spread over four square kilometers area belonging to the Gandahara civilization. It remained the center point of the Buddhist art and culture for centuries. It is located at a distance of 20 km in Nogram Killi village in the Buner district from Swabi City via Swabi-Mardan road. It can also be accessed easily via Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway M-1. The ruins includes stupas, monasteries, drainage systems, and big rock. The site is situated on the top of a hill and accessible by climbing the stairs. From the top, you can also have a beautiful view of lush green small villages of Swabi and Buner districts. The site is also included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Swabi is also famous due to Pashtun folk love story of Yusuf Khan and Sherbano. People visit and climb Karamar Mountain in Kalu Khan town to visit their grave.
Tarbela Dam is situated on the Indus River at a distance of 105 km from Islamabad in Swabi district near Topi town in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa. It is the world's largest earth filled dam and the Tarbela Lake has approximately 250 square kilometers surface area. As the Indus River leaves Himalayas and enters into the Potwar Pleateau, then its water is stored in the reservoir of the dam. It was completed in 1976 against the Indus Water Treaty between Pakistan and India. It produces more than six thousands mega watts electricity. The dam was constructed after the Tarbela village in the Haripur district at the narrow passage of the Indus River, for the purpose to compensate the water in the eastern rivers Ravi, Sutlej and Beas. In this water, it becomes a main source of irrigation in all over the Punjab and Sindh plains.
Mahaban Forest is another attraction for tourist which has a scenic beauty, with an altitude of 6,000 feet. It is located at a distance of 50 km from the Swabi City via Jhanda road. It is lush green valley with full of dense forests, meadows, streams, and waterfalls. You can also enjoy the hiking on the Mahaban Hill as well as enjoying the traveling in deep forests.