Peshawar’s Gandhara civilization needs digital lens to turn history into economic turnaround
PESHAWAR (APP): As 12-year-old Malaika Bibi quietly walked through the galleries of the Peshawar Museum, her eyes remained fixed on the serene stone face of Lord Buddha, founder of Buddhism.
For years, she had only heard stories about the ancient Gandhara civilization from her father. This summer vacation, that childhood dream finally came true.
“Seeing Lord Buddha’s statues was my childhood dream, and today my Papa Jan fulfilled it,” she said with a smile, carefully observing centuries-old sculptures that have survived empires, invasions and the passage of time.
But as she admired the priceless artifacts, another thought crossed her mind.
“These treasures should be shown to the whole world through digital media so more people can visit Peshawar and appreciate our history,” she suggested.
Her simple wish echoes a larger question facing Pakistan’s cultural heritage sector that can digital storytelling transform Gandhara’s forgotten glory into a source of tourism, cultural pride and economic opportunity?
Hidden inside the historic halls of the Peshawar Museum lies one of the world’s richest collections of Gandharan art—masterpieces that narrate the story of a civilization where Greek artistic traditions blended with Buddhist philosophy to create an architectural and cultural legacy admired across Asia.
Yet, despite its extraordinary significance, much of this heritage remains unknown to international audiences.
According to Bakhtzada Muhammad, Assistant Director Archaeology and Museums, Peshawar was once among the world’s greatest cities that witnessed ancient civilizations and vigour of kings and monarchs that passed through ancient Khyber Pass.
Archaeological evidence suggested the city’s history stretches back more than 2,500 years, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth.
During the Kushan empire, Peshawar which then known as Purushapura or the city of men and Poshapura, the city of flowers became the empire’s capital and the spiritual heart of Mahayana Buddhism.
Its strategic location near the Khyber Pass connected Central Asia with the Indian subcontinent, making it a thriving centre of trade, learning and cultural exchange.
“It was under Emperor Kanishka that Peshawar reached its golden age,” Bakhtzada explained. The city expanded into a flourishing metropolis adorned with monasteries, public buildings and magnificent Buddhist monuments. Among them stood the legendary Kanishka Stupa, regarded by many historians as the tallest structure of the ancient world.
Chinese pilgrims Faxian and Xuanzang described the towering monument with awe, noting that its gleaming iron spire could be seen from miles away under the sunlight.
Nearby stood the famous Kanishka Vihara, a vast monastery that housed an extraordinary library of Buddhist manuscripts. Scholars from across Asia travelled to Peshawar to study there, making it one of the ancient world’s greatest centres of learning.
The renowned Buddhist philosophers Asanga and Vasubandhu are believed to have developed influential schools of thought here, shaping Buddhist traditions from Tibet to Japan.
Historians estimated that nearly 2,000 years ago Peshawar’s population exceeded 120,000 people, making it the seventh most populous city in the ancient world—a remarkable achievement for its time.
Its famous Gandharan sculptures, blending Greco-Roman realism with local artistic traditions, remain among humanity’s finest artistic accomplishments.
Yet history’s fortunes changed as successive invasions by the Sassanians, White Huns and later the Ghaznavids devastated Gandhara’s monasteries, libraries and cities. Trade routes declined, Buddhist institutions weakened, and one of the world’s greatest civilizations gradually disappeared into history.
When the Chinese monk Xuanzang revisited Peshawar centuries later, he described abandoned monasteries, ruined stupas and deserted settlements, haunting reminders of a once-glorious civilization.
Today, many of those memories survive inside museums, archaeological sites and scattered ruins across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Experts believed preserving these treasures alone is no longer enough.
In an era dominated by smartphones, virtual tourism and social media, they argue that Gandhara’s remarkable story must be presented through digital platforms, immersive documentaries, virtual museum tours, interactive websites and multilingual online campaigns capable of reaching global audiences.
Such initiatives could attract international tourists, researchers and Buddhist pilgrims while generating employment for local communities, supporting museums and encouraging investment in heritage conservation.
For young visitors like Malaika, the answer appears remarkably simple for KP Government.
“If people around the world can see these beautiful statues online, they will definitely want to come to Peshawar,” she said confidently.
Her words reflect the hopes of many heritage experts who believe that while Gandhara’s monuments belong to the past, digital technology can help secure their future.
The stones of ancient Peshawar still tell stories. What they need now is a digital lens powerful enough for the world to see them and a vision that turns history into sustainable economic opportunity.
