Field guides / Khyber Pakhtunkhwa / Rehman Dheri
Field guide · Heritage
Rehman Dheri
Rehman Dheri is one of the earliest known planned urban settlements in South Asia, a Bronze Age mound near Dera Ismail Khan whose grid-like street layout dates back roughly 5,000 years, predating even Moenjodaro and Harappa. Excavations have revealed pottery, seals, and early evidence of the region's Indus-era trade networks.
Rehman Dheri is one of the earliest known planned urban settlements in South Asia, a Bronze Age mound near Dera Ismail Khan whose grid-like street layout dates back roughly 5,000 years, predating even Moenjodaro and Harappa. Excavations have revealed pottery, seals, and early evidence of the region's Indus-era trade networks.
Why go
- ✦One of South Asia's earliest planned settlements
- ✦Roughly 5,000 years old
- ✦Predates Moenjodaro and Harappa
Older Than the Indus Cities
Rehman Dheri's grid-planned streets push the timeline of urban planning in South Asia back earlier than the famous Indus Valley cities, making it a significant, if less visited, site for understanding the region's deep past.
Plan It with GreenPak
A specialist stop best combined with other Khyber Pakhtunkhwa heritage sites, use Plan a trip if archaeology is a focus of your itinerary.
Planning tip
When to go, October to March; the site is an open excavation with little shelter.
Getting there, A short drive from Dera Ismail Khan.
Allow, 45 minutes to an hour; mainly of interest to those keen on early South Asian archaeology.
