Historic Site · Taxila, Pakistan
Taxila
Taxila, historically known as Takshashila, is a city and a World Heritage Site in the Rawalpindi District of Punjab, Pakistan. Built c. 1000 BC.
Photo: not stated via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 1.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Taxila, Pakistan |
|---|---|
| Type | Historic Site |
| Built | c. 1000 BC |
| Coordinates | 33.7458° N, 72.7875° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Taxila is known for
Taxila, historically known as Takshashila, is a city and a World Heritage Site in the Rawalpindi District of Punjab, Pakistan.
About Taxila
Taxila, historically known as Takshashila, is a city and a World Heritage Site in the Rawalpindi District of Punjab, Pakistan. Founded around 1000 BC, it is one of the oldest cities in Asia.
History
The region around Taxila was settled by the Neolithic era, with some ruins at Taxila dating to 1000 BCE. Ruins dating from the Early Harappan period around 1300 BCE have also been discovered in the Taxila area, though the area was eventually abandoned after the collapse of the Indus Valley Civilisation. The earliest settled occupation in Taxila Valley was found at Sarai Khola, located 2 km to the south-west of Taxila Museum, where three radiocarbon dates from Period I suggest the site was first occupied between the late 4th and early 3rd millennium BCE, with deposits of polished stone celts, chert blades and a distinctive type of highly burnished pottery that shows clear signs of the use of woven baskets in the manufacturing process and the application of a slurry to the exterior surface. Periods IA and II at Sarai Khola seem to show continuity from Period I, with the appearance of red burnished wares.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Taxila |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Islamabad International Airport (ISB) |
| Distance from the airport | 13.8 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Islamabad International Airport (ISB) · Attock, Pakistan · 13.8 miles away
- Bacha Khan International Airport (PEW) · Peshawar, Pakistan · 75.0 miles away
- Srinagar International Airport (SXR) · Srinagar, India · 115.2 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in Pakistan
More historic sites
Frequently asked questions
What is Taxila?
Taxila, historically known as Takshashila, is a city and a World Heritage Site in the Rawalpindi District of Punjab, Pakistan.
Where is Taxila located?
Taxila is in Taxila, Pakistan. Its coordinates are 33.7458° N, 72.7875° E.
How do I get to Taxila?
The nearest town is Taxila, and the nearest airport is Islamabad International Airport (ISB), about 13.8 miles away (straight line).
When was Taxila built?
Taxila was built c. 1000 BC.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxila — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q156093 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.