Banbhore

Location

Bhanbhore is situated on the northern bank of Gharo creek, about 65 km east of Karachi in the Thatta District 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.

Some archaeologist and historians suggest that Bhanbhore is the historical city of Debal, which the Arab general Muhammad bin Qasim conquered in 711–712 after defeating Raja Dahir, the last Hindu ruler of Sindh.

Bhanbhore may also have been known as Barbari or Barbaricon (Βαρβαρικόν) to the Greeks 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 Indus, linking it with rest of the Indo-Scythians and Indo-Parthians 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 Muhammad bin Qasim 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

References

1. "Port of Banbhore". UNESCO.
2. "Dictionary of Islamic Architecture". ArchNet.
3. Khan, F. A.. (14 November 1963). "Banbhore; a Preliminary Report on the Recent Archaeological Excavations at Banbhore". Department of Archaeology and Museums, Ministry of Education & Scientific Research, Government of Pakistan.
4. Kit W. Wesler. (19 April 2012). "An Archaeology of Religion". University Press of America.
5. "Friday Mosque of Banbhore". ArchNet.
6. "Banbhore Museum". Govt. of Sindh.
7. Mughal, M. Rafique. (1990). "Archaeological Field Research in Pakistan since Independence: An Overview". Bulletin of the Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute.
8. (12 March 2012). "International conference: Experts question if Bhambhore is the historical city of Debal". The Express Tribune.
9. Panhwar. (Summer 1981). "International Trade of Sindh from its Port Barbarico (Banbhore), 200 BC TO 200 AD". Journal Sindhological Studies.