Last Updated on: 22nd February 2026, 01:38 pm
Taxila – a major center of the ancient Gandhara region – was arguably the most cosmopolitan city of the ancient world. It wasn’t just a place where east met west, but a space where a myriad of different philosophies and cultures flourished side by side. Here, ancient Greek, Zoroastrian, Hindu, and Buddhist ideas all coexisted and influenced one another.
Much of what became standard in modern Buddhism – including the first depictions of the Buddha, and possibly the monastic system – first developed in Taxila before spreading to China, Japan, and back into India.
Despite its fascinating backstory, Taxila is a place where the history dramatically outshines the visuals, as very little of it has been rebuilt. What remains are largely foundations, ruined stupas, and fragments.
Some original artwork does survive in situ, and the Taxila Museum is excellent. Nevertheless, a lot of imagination is required. That’s why understanding Gandhara’s history and cultural significance is essential to making the most of your visit.
In the following Taxila guide, we’ll be covering practical visiting tips, a brief overview of Taxila’s history, and then a summary of what to expect at Taxila’s various sites.
For more information on where to stay in Islamabad, the nearest major city, be sure to check the end of the article.
How to Visit Taxila
THE BASICS: Before visiting Taxila, it’s important to understand that it’s not a single archaeological site, but many sites spread across a vast area. In fact, while most of the sites are in the province of Punjab, a couple fall on the other side of the border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province.
Furthermore, Taxila is also a modern city that’s home to around 150,000 people. It lies about 25 km northwest of Islamabad, so you can easily visit as a day trip from there.
Seeing every accessible site in the area would take multiple days. As such, most visitors hire a driver to take them around to roughly five main sites.
ENTRANCE FEES: Typically, each of these sites require their own entrance fees, though some, such as the Bhir Mound and Jandial Temple, are free.
Expect to pay around PKR 500 for each one, though it may be possible to buy a combo ticket at the Taxila Museum. As luck would have it, I just happened to visit on Punjab’s World Heritage Day when all the sites were free, so I can’t confirm the current ticketing system.
GETTING TO TAXILA: As for getting to Taxila from Islamabad, some sort of public bus may or may not exist, but good luck trying to figure it out. It would be wise to just use an app like InDriver or Careem.
I paid around PKR 1300 for the ride there and then around PKR 1100 for the ride back (based on demand at the time). So my total cost for roundtrip transport was just around $9 USD.
GETTING AROUND TAXILA: As for getting around to the various sites, you should be able to find a local driver near the Taxila Museum, which is why that’s a good destination to choose when coming from Islamabad.
I negotiated a price of PKR 2500 with a driver to visit all of the sites below for the day with no real time limit. But as my driver turned out to be a really friendly, knowledgeable and honest guy, I ended up throwing in a tip at the end.
Taxila: A Brief History
Gandhara was an ancient region covering present-day northwestern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan, situated along the ancient Silk Road. Its original Sanskrit name was Takshasila – known to Europeans since the time of Alexander the Great as Taxila (pronounced tak-si-la).
It was once the easternmost province of the Persian Achaemenid Empire before Alexander the Great conquered it in 326 BC. Upon his arrival, the local king Ambhi – who ruled from Bhir Mound – surrendered without a fight, reportedly hoping to use Alexander’s forces against his rival, the powerful King Porus to the east.
After Alexander came a succession of empires that each left their mark on the region. Next was the Maurya Empire, who introduced Buddhism thanks to Ashoka the Great. The Indo-Greeks brought Hellenistic art and urban planning, while the Indo-Scythians and Indo-Parthians continued to promote Greek and Zoroastrian ideas. And then, perhaps most importantly, the Kushans, whose empire at its peak controlled most of northern India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, along with parts of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
The Kushans made Peshawar their main capital and Mathura their second, but Taxila remained a major religious and cultural center throughout their rule. While tolerant of all religions and ideologies, the Kushans – especially under emperor Kanishka the Great – favored Buddhism. And it was during this era that Gandharan art – the remarkable fusion of Greek and Buddhist traditions – reached its peak.
The region’s downfall came at the hands of the White Huns in the 5th century AD, who devastated Buddhist monasteries and stupas across Gandhara. The ruins lay largely forgotten until serious excavations began in the 1910s under British archaeologist Sir John Marshall.
The Taxila Museum
As mentioned, it would be wise to start your exploration of Taxila at the Taxila Museum. If you’re coming via taxi from Islamabad, you can have your driver drop you off here, after which you should easily be able to find local tuk tuk drivers hanging around outside.
The museum itself, of course, is a must-visit destination in Taxila.
Most of the attractions were free on the day of my visit, but the museum should normally cost PKR 200 (or perhaps currently PKR 500) for foreigners. It’s open daily from 9:00-16:00 in winter, and from 14:30-17:30 in summer.
Unfortunately, no DSLR photography is allowed inside the museum, though cellphone pictures are fine.
The ancient artists of Gandhara were so prolific that it’s hardly rare to find Gandhara art at museums all over the world.
But museums with especially large collections include the Lahore Museum, the National Museum of India in Delhi, and the Government Museum & Art Gallery in Chandigarh. And of course, the Taxila Museum, which may be the only museum that’s entirely dedicated to Gandhara art.
Fascinatingly, the world’s oldest dateable Buddha images come from the Gandhara region. While the Buddha himself lived in the 6th century BC, during the first several hundred years of Buddhism, depictions of him were considered taboo.
But after the descendants of Alexander’s generals settled in the region, all that changed. While Gandhara art’s subject matter is undoubtedly Buddhist, the artistic style is unmistakably Greek-influenced.
Though Buddhist sculpture likely first appeared here during the Indo-Parthian era in the 1st century AD, it was during the Kushan Empire (1st-5th centuries AD) that Gandharan Buddhist art reached its zenith.
A lot of the pieces on display come from the sites we’ll be covering below. Interestingly, while a lot of prominent art pieces from Taxila at other museums are stone sculptures, many of the pieces here are stucco.
That’s because stucco Buddha images were usually attached to the sides of Taxila’s numerous stupas.
The museum even displays some entire stupas from sites around Taxila, such as one from Jaulian (more below).
The museum contains over 7,000 artifacts in total, with the collection also including coins, terracotta figures, and ancient inscriptions.
Interestingly, some of the original relics of the Buddha himself that were placed within the Dharmarajika Stupa are now being stored in a special container gifted by Thailand.
Thailand, a majority Buddhist country, plays an active role in preserving Taxila’s monuments, and I encountered many Thai tourists during my visit.
In fact, one version of the Chronicle of the Emerald Buddha, a story that details the history of the palladium of Thailand, states that the Emerald Buddha even spent some time right here in Taxila! But historical or archaeological proof is lacking.
Bhir Mound
Bhir Mound is situated just across the street from the Taxila Museum, so it’s the logical place to start your explorations. It’s also considered one of Taxila’s oldest areas, with numerous prehistoric artifacts having been found here.
This area flourished well before Gandhara’s cultural zenith from around the 1st-5th centuries AD, as Bhir Mound was thriving since at least the 6th century BC. At this time, the region would’ve been the easternmost fringe of the Persian Achaemenid Empire.
Findings here also come from the Maurya period. Originally a Hindu dynasty, the Mauryas are best known historically for Ashoka the Great who converted to Buddhism, effectively creating the world’s first major Buddhist empire.
Artifacts such as household pottery, storage jars, terracotta toys, toilet trays, beads, stamp seals, and objects of semiprecious stone, glass, bone, and ivory have been found here.
Furthermore, beautiful jewelry from the 4th century BC have also been found at Bhir Mound – pieces I’d seen on display at the National Museum of India in New Delhi.
Just keep in mind that while Bhir Mound is hugely important historically, it’s among Taxila’s least remarkable areas visually.
Sirkap
Sirkap was one of Taxila’s main urban centers. In fact, it’s been often described as its own city, as it was one of the most bustling areas of the broader Taxila region (which in turn was part of the larger Gandhara region, which itself was ruled by various empires).
Sirkap was founded by Demetrius, the Bactrian Greek king, around 180 BC, though it was later rebuilt and expanded by Menander, one of the most prominent Indo-Greek rulers.
Accordingly, its layout mirrors that of ancient Greek cities, and many of its buildings were constructed according to the principles of the Ionic and Corinthian orders.
After a large earthquake damaged much of it, the city was later rebuilt by Indo-Scythian and Indo-Parthian rulers who maintained the same Greek layout.
It’s not the most photogenic of areas, but when you’re there in person, the vast expanses of foundations help reveal how massive the city originally was.
Remarkably, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and Zoroastrian sanctuaries all existed within or near its walls, and the remains of some of these temples can still be seen today.
One of the ruins of Sirkap is said to have belonged to an early church built by none other than Saint Thomas the Apostle. That means that we can add Christianity to the mix when discussing ancient Gandhara’s religious influences.
But the topic remains up for debate. Saint Thomas is said to have arrived here in 52 AD, upon which he converted the Indo-Parthian king Gondophares from Zoroastrianism to Christianity.
The story, however, derives from the Acts of Thomas, a Syriac text written centuries after his death. And despite what the on-site signage says, there’s no credible archaeological evidence for a church here.
Architectural highlights include the Apsidal Temple, a Buddhist temple rebuilt after the great earthquake. Interestingly, purely Hellenistic sculptures were discovered here which date to the 1st century AD. They’re believed to have been created by a Western artist working on location.
The Double-Headed Eagle Stupa is another important structure that was built by Gondophares himself.
Not every temple here is labeled, but one of them is supposed to be Jain.
The site seemed to go on and on, but it’s worth walking all the way to the end. At the far gate, a sign points down a path toward the Kunala Stupa – though a local may need to point you in the right direction.
Eventually, you should find a staircase leading up a large hill.
This stupa is named after Kunala, Ashoka’s son and intended heir, who was blinded through a conspiracy by a jealous stepmother.
After that, he wandered India as a minstrel before being reunited with his father – possibly here, according to some versions of the tale. And it was also here that he was cured of his blindness.
To this day, some Buddhist pilgrims come here seeking blessings for eye problems – though during my visit, I had the place entirely to myself.
Kunala Stupa was mentioned by Xuanzang, the Tang Dynasty monk who traveled from Xi’an to India in search of the original version of Buddhist scriptures – a journey that later inspired the novel Journey to the West.
While the stupa isn’t in the best condition, from the top, one can enjoy great views of Sirkap below, along with the rural surroundings of modern Taxila.
Jandial Temple
As mentioned earlier, Gandhara was a region where various religions and ideologies met, though many prominent historical rulers were Buddhist.
Jandial Temple, however, is a rare example of a monumental temple in Taxila that had nothing to do with Buddhism.
Built atop an artificial mound in the 2nd century BC, its architectural style is entirely Greek. For example, bases of large Ionic columns can be seen in front, while it has an entrance hall and naos typical of ancient Greek temples.
But who was worshipped here? That’s where things get especially interesting.
While some scholars claim it was simply a Greek deity worshipped in this Greek-looking temple, a leading theory states that this was actually a Zoroastrian fire temple!
And given Taxila’s history and cultural influences, that theory is entirely plausible – especially considering how it was established by the Indo-Parthian king Gondophares, a Zoroastrian.
(For history nerds, some other Greco-Roman temples dedicated to Persian gods found outside of Persia itself include Garni Temple in Armenia, not to mention monuments of the Commagene Kingdom.)
Fascinatingly, it was at this temple that Apollonius of Tyana, a Neo-Pythagorean from Cappadocia, stayed in 44 AD before meeting King Gondophares.
(As an interesting side note, before Christianity really took off in Rome, Apollonius was revered as a miracle worker much like Christ. And then a bit later, early Christians also claimed that Saint Thomas came to Taxila to visit the exact same king. While it’s hard to determine how much truth lies in either story, it’s certainly interesting.)
Mohra Moradu
Mohra Moradu is a site comprised of both a large stupa and a monastery. Archaeologists discovered both structures completely buried beneath debris.
But it’s been determined that they were originally constructed in the 2nd century AD before being repaired and expanded in the 4th and 5th centuries.
The base of the stupa was decorated with stucco sculptures of the Buddha and other divinities, fragments of which can still be seen. It’s also possible to climb up a staircase to the stupa’s upper level for some nice views of the surrounding mountains.
The neighboring monastery, meanwhile, featured no less than 27 rooms. Among them were an assembly hall, kitchen, bathrooms, and even a small stupa built within an ordinary building.
The room with the stupa was locked at the time of my visit, but large surviving sections of stucco Buddha images could still be seen.
Like other monasteries in Gandhara, this one featured a water pond in the middle in which monks would grow lotus flowers.
Archaeologists believe that Mohra Moradu persisted until the end of the Kushan Empire, but declined after their fall to the White Huns.
As we’ll cover shortly, this isn’t the only former monastery you can visit during your explorations of Taxila.
Jaulian
Jaulian is one of Taxila’s sites that happens to lie in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province rather than Punjab. In my case, despite it being World Heritage Day in Punjab, this site wasn’t free.
It cost PKR 500 to enter, and though an on-site sign mentioned an additional PKR 500 fee for photography, the woman behind the counter said I didn’t need to pay extra.
The site is situated on a 300 ft-high hill that visitors access via a modern staircase. As with Mohra Moradu mentioned above, Jaulian consists of a large stupa and a monastery dating to the Kushan era.
But what sets this site apart is that the main central stupa is surrounded by many smaller ones.
This is arguably the most visually appealing site in Taxila from an artistic perspective, with lots of original art remaining in situ. With that said, numerous pieces have been moved to the Taxila museum, including the entirety of Stupa 16.
These don’t really look like stupas now, as their round domes have mostly collapsed, with only the square bases remaining. Interestingly, one of them is inscribed with the names of donors who helped fund its construction.
The base of the main stupa in the center is massive. It dates to the early Kushan period, though repairs were done centuries later. Along the south wall, you’ll find what’s left of large stucco Buddha images.
One of them, although badly damaged, depicts the Healing Buddha, a version of Buddha still commonly worshipped in various Buddhist countries, though the cult likely first emerged here in Gandhara.
Gandhara’s influence on world Buddhism is a fascinating subject that’s too deep to go into in this Taxila guide. But it’s unfortunate that this vitally important region is so often overlooked in history books that simply summarize Buddhism as having spread from India to China and Sri Lanka.
Behind the stupa is a large monastery that measures out to 97 ft by 106 ft. Speaking of Gandhara’s role in world Buddhism, Christopher I. Beckwith, author of Greek Buddha, even suggests that the architectural form of the Buddhist monastery – the vihara – may have first appeared fully formed right here in Taxila.
This vihara is home to various alcoves and a large assembly hall. There’s also a kitchen and refectory, which reveals that the Buddhist monkhood eventually moved on from subsisting solely on alms from the public.
Pipplan
Next, my driver made a slight detour to take me to a small monastery called Pipplan, located not far from Jaulian. It also dates from the Kushan period, and the highlight here is a well-preserved votive stupa.
Like many other parts of Taxila, Pipplan would be abandoned by the 5th century AD.
Dharmarajika
Dharmarajika was established by none other than Ashoka the Great – the very ruler who first introduced Buddhism to this region, and the man behind the world’s first major Buddhist empire.
That makes it the earliest Buddhist complex in Taxila, predating everything else here except Bhir Mound.
The stupa was built to enshrine relics of the Buddha himself, and it’s the largest in the Taxila region. Its surrounded by chapels and numerous votive stupas erected by pilgrims from the 1st century BC through the 5th century AD.
Among the most striking finds from the site are the feet of a colossal Buddha statue – each five feet in length, implying the original figure stood around 35 feet tall!
The chapel that housed it would have needed to be at least 40 feet high to accommodate it.
As for the central stupa, it was destroyed in a major earthquake around 40 AD before being rebuilt, and the Kushans then rebuilt it at least twice more, each time expanding the surrounding complex.
The stupa was once adorned with stone sculptures depicting events from the Buddha’s life, and texts mention that frankincense was burned during religious ceremonies here.
While walking around, I couldn’t help but compare it with the stupa of Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh, India, Ashoka’s most well-known monument.
Sanchi, of course, was largely rebuilt in modern times. But given how it likely resembles what that ancient stupa really would’ve looked like, I haven’t come across any complaints about its current appearance.
While I do have mixed feelings on the rebuilding of ancient structures – especially since things sometimes go wrong – I think a faithful reconstruction of the original stupa here could be a great way to both educate people on ancient Gandhara as well as boost tourism to Pakistan.
Additional Info
Islamabad is a massive, sprawling city, so you’re going to do a lot of moving around regardless of where you stay.
It’s divided into ‘superblocks,’ each of which is supposed to have everything you need – at least in theory. You’ll still find yourself needing to travel for certain tasks or shopping, not to mention sightseeing.
Islamabad doesn’t have a proper center, but the closest thing is the so-called ‘Blue Area,’ a strip of shops between the F and G sectors. A good midrange option here is The Avenue Hotel.
F7, meanwhile, is one of the city’s most modern and convenient districts and is often recommended to tourists. A highly-rated choice is Grand Peace House II.
In my case, I ended up staying in the district of G9/4, which ended up to be a really memorable experience. I simply chose Oriole Guest House because it seemed to be the cheapest private room in Islamabad that had mostly positive reviews (but wow – they seem to have gotten review bombed and the score’s gone way down).
It wasn’t until arriving that I realized it was right in the heart of Islamabad’s Afghan district. And since I already had plans to visit Afghanistan next, it served as a nice little introduction to Afghan cuisine. (Many people here also told me they came from Kashmir.)
I stayed here for an extended period both before and after visiting Gilgit-Baltistan (and the hotel kindly looked after my luggage during the two weeks I was away) and I ended up becoming friendly with numerous shopkeepers, almost feeling part of the little community.
G9/4 is probably not for everyone, though, as it’s both a bit out of the way and not at all modern.