Banbhore

Banbhore, Bambhore, Bhanbhore or Bhambhore (Sindhi: ڀنڀور; Urdu: بھنبھور) 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. 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.

Location

Bhanbhore is situated on the northern bank of Gharo creek, about 65 kilometres (40 mi) 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.