Preserving the past: Government to restore crumbling city wall

Rs200m set aside for conservation project

PESHAWAR:

Official neglect and unplanned urbanisation have threatened to destroy whatever little the city boasts of its past. Over the years, the great city wall has not received proper attention from the government. The ancient structure – which had once staved off invaders from outside  – has been repeatedly breached by the people it once sought to protect.

However, the government has finally decided to take matters into their own hands and restore the city’s original status of a walled city.

“The wall’s conservation project will soon be initiated,” Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Archaeology and Museums Director Dr Abdul Samad told The Express Tribune. “The project will be launched in collaboration with archaeologists from a Belgian university. According to Samad, all the necessary paperwork is being carried out to begin the project.



“A walled city authority will be established to administer the project,” he said. “The initiative is aimed at restoring the historical identity of the city.” Out of the 16 gates, only two are said to be in original shape while the rest were repaired and redesigned during the previous government.

“An amount of Rs200 million has been allocated for the conservation,” he added.

Pinch of salt

Conservators have taken the government’s word with a pinch of salt. Many of them have expressed mixed feelings about the initiative as the government had made similar promises in the past which were not kept.

Sarhad Conservation Council Convener Adil Zarif said all construction should be carried out in accordance with the archaeological manual. He urged the government to make a list of historical sites which need to be protected.

“India has preserved most of its heritage sites,” he said. “We should learn a valuable lesson from our neighbour.”

Great wall of Peshawar

Historians are uncertain about when the wall was built. Some believe the wall was constructed after the Sikhs captured Peshawar some 200 years ago. Delimitation was carried out and the 20 feet high fortification was constructed around the city with 16 exit and entry points.

According to historian Ahmad Hasan Dani, the mud wall was built during the Sikh period by the Italian mercenary governor of Peshawar, General Paolo Avitabile. During the British rule, the wall had been patched with bricks.

Experts maintain the wall remained intact until 1940. However, it was demolished as the city grew over the decades.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 7^th, 2015.