Western gate of Gor Khatri opened for tourists

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtun—khwa Chief Secretary Dr Kazim Niaz on Wednesday inaugurated the western gate of Gor Khatri tehsil and opened it for the public and tourists.

A press release said that conservation work of two buildings, ie Gor Khatri Western Gate and Sethi House, had started in 2018.

Speaking on the occasion, Director Archaeology and Museums KP Dr Abdul Samad said that Gor Khatri Western Gate was conserved and rehabilitated by KP Archaeology Department in collaboration with architects, LUMS, UET Peshawar and consultants through the support from German Gerda Henkel Stiftung, He said that Jehan Ara Begum, the daughter of Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan, converted Gor Khatri into a caravanserai and named it Serai Jahanabad.

The Sikhs converted the site into the residence and official headquarters of their mercenary general Paolo Avitabile who was governor of Peshawar during 1838-1842. Sikhs constructed a Hindu temple for Shiva there.

Gor Khatri is a typical Mughal-era serai and is located on one of the highest points of Peshawar city. It has two prominent gateways: one in the east and another in the west.