Preserving history: Gor Gathri to become the country’s first archaeological park

Archaeology directorate gets site cleared of offices of various govt depts.

PESHAWAR:

With the aim to make Peshawar’s historic archaeological site, Gor Gathri, the country’s first ever archaeological park, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Directorate of Archaeology has cleared the premises of government offices.

The offices of the Tourism Cooperation Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) as well as the Municipal Corporation of Peshawar have been vacated and the archaeology directorate has taken the historic structure under its wing as it believes the government offices have defaced it.



“They have destroyed the archaeological structure of Gor Gathri,” Archaeology Director Dr Abdul Samad told The Express Tribune on Monday while referring to a Rs100 million project initiated by the TCKP to launch a handicraft training centre at the archaeological complex. “The money could have been spent on improving several historical sites in the country,” he added.

Under the TCKP’s project, initially around fifty cells of the site’s Sara-e-Jahandad were adorned with aluminium-plated doors as well as stained glass. The TCKP further aimed to make the rooms available to artists who would train people in different traditional arts and crafts.

According to Dr Abdul Samad, the project’s Rs50 million still remains unused and the directorate intends to utilise the money into making Gor Gathri an archaeological park.

He added the amount would also be used to improve the site’s museum, its beautification, physical structure, wall adornments and landscape, as well as the on-site fire brigade building which is in shambles.

The TCKP is not the only government department which was told to pack up and leave.

The archaeology directorate also removed the municipal corporation office which had parked several heavy vehicles inside the Gor Gathri complex, causing damage to the structure.

“The protection of these sites is our first priority, it is unacceptable that such a historical treasure was being used as a parking lot,” said Dr Samad.



However, TCKP Media Manager Zehra Alam denied that the presence of the offices had damaged the site. “Our project is still unfinished and we hope the archaeology directorate will oversee its completion,” said Alam.

On July 7, Adviser to the chief minister Amjid Afridi visited different areas of the walled city. During his tour of Gor Gathri, Afridi took notice of the offices of the two departments and directed the relevant officials to immediately relocate the offices.

Gor Gathri is an archaeological complex in Androon Sheher comprising several significant historic sites. The site houses a 17th century Shiva Temple, a mosque, and Sara-e-Jahandad, which was established in 1641 by Begum Jahan Ara, the elder daughter of Mughal king Shah Jehan.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 15^th, 2014.