Photo: Department of Archaeology & Museums, Government of PakistanField guides / Islamabad Capital Territory / Islamabad / Sarai Kharbuza, Islamabad
Field guide · Heritage
Islamabad
Islamabad District · Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan
Sarai Kharbuza, Islamabad
A Mughal-era caravanserai on the old Grand Trunk Road where the emperor Jahangir stayed in 1605.
Sarai Kharbuza is a caravanserai in the village of the same name on the old Grand Trunk Road, in Islamabad. It was built by the Gakhars, who ruled the Pothohar under the Mughals, as one of the inns spaced about every 20 km along the road, and the emperor Jahangir recorded his stay here in 1605 in his memoirs. The sarai is square, with arched gateways in its northern and southern walls and a ring of living cells with verandas around the inside of the walls; it once held separate quarters for men and women, a market, a bathhouse and a mosque, whose interior is painted with frescoes.
Why go
- ✦A caravanserai on the Grand Trunk Road
- ✦Where Jahangir stayed in 1605
- ✦Arched gateways and rows of travellers' cells
How to Reach
In Sarai Kharbuza village on the old Grand Trunk Road, west of Islamabad.
Planning tip
Best Time to Visit, October to March.
Getting there, In Sarai Kharbuza village on the old Grand Trunk Road, west of Islamabad.
Allow, Half an hour.
What to Do
Nearby
Straight-line distance from Sarai Kharbuza, Islamabad, within 5 km.
