There are some beautiful museums in the world which attract millions of visitors. The region of Mardan is rich in culture and especially Gandhara remains are matchless. The people of Mardan had the idea of a museum for a long time and they were keen to preserve the heritage. For this reason they formed National Heritage Preservation Societies in the past. Ultimately with the interest of the local Government Officials and the then commissioner of Mardan, Mr R N Sahibzada, the proposal of building a museum in Mardan was made in 1990. The museum was opened in April1991.
The original name is Takht-i-Bahi. This town is situated 15 km from Mardan on Swat Malakand road. In 1908/9 the ancient Buddhist history was discovered in the mountains. Large numbers of buildings look beautiful on top of the mountains.
Unfortunately the possessions of the houses and buildings have been taken away illegally and maybe decorating some famous buildings in the rest of the world. The population is expanding and new houses are approaching the site. If ignored for a few more years, the tourist and historic attractions will disappear.
Cultural heritage has a great historical significance. It represents the taste and theme of the time. The Guides Memorial Mardan also has a very relevant historical importance. It was built by the British in 1892 in memory of their soldiers who sacrificed their lives in defence of Queen’s Residency in Kabul on September 23rd 1879.This historical memorial was built in the centre of Mardan city.
Hundreds of archaeological artefacts looted from Afghanistan have been handed over to the country's national museum during a ceremony in the Afghan capital, Kabul.
Many of the 843 pieces were stolen during Afghanistan's civil war in the 1990s and ended up on the black market. Some of the items, which include stone statues of Buddha and intricate ivory carvings, are up to 4,000 years old.
The British Museum in London has helped to complete their return. Some of the stolen artifacts were recovered by British border forces and police, while others were found in private collections and bought back by generous donors.....Read More
One stone Buddha, thought to be around 1,800 years old, was stolen from the museum in Kabul and recovered in Japan.The British Ministry of Defense flew the pieces back to Afghanistan in large crates, landing at their military base in Camp Bastion.
Afghan archaeologists say the repatriation of the treasures, which had been feared lost forever, is a source of national pride. More than two thirds of the exhibits at the National Museum in Kabul were stolen or destroyed during the civil war.
The BBC's correspondent in Kabul, Aleem Maqbool, says there will be concerns about the fate of the artefacts, given the unpredictability surrounding Afghanistan's future. But archaeologists in Afghanistan say having so many of their treasures back on home soil is a source of great national pride, our correspondent adds.
This raises the question "When will the looted art from Takhtbai,Jamal Garrhai,Rani Gat and other sites be returned to Mardan?