Alexander the great footsteps (356-323 BC). More than any other World conqueror, Alexander III of Macedon or ancient Macedonia, deserves to be called THE GREAT. Although he died before the age of 33, he conquered almost all the then known World and gave a new direction to history. Alexander was born in 356 BC at Pella, the capital of Macedon, a kingdom north of Hellas (Greece). Under his father, Philip II, Macedon had become strong and united, the first real nation in European history when Greece was reaching the end of its Golden Age. Art, literature, and philosophy were flourishing. Alexander was handsome and had the physique of an athlete. He excelled in hunting and loved riding his horse Bucephalus. When Alexander was 13 years old, the Greek philosopher Aristotle came to Macedon to tutor him. Alexander learned to love Homer’s ‘Iliad’. He also learned something of ethics and politics and the new sciences of botany, zoology, geography and medicine. His chief interest was military strategy. He learned this from his father, who had reformed the Greek phalanx into a powerful fighting machine. Philip was bent on the conquest of Persia and Alexander prepared to carry out his father’s bold plan and invaded Persia. Two centuries earlier the mighty Persian Empire had pushed westward to include the Greek cities of Asia Minor–one third of the entire Greek world. In the spring of 334 BC, Alexander crossed the Hellespont now Dardanelles. He had with him a Greek and Macedonian force of about 30,000-foot soldiers and 5,000 cavalries. The infantry wore armor like the Greek hoplites but carried a Macedonian weapon, the long pike and Alexander himself led the campaign, the elite of the cavalry. With the army of geographers, botanists, and other men of science who collected information and specimens for Aristotle. A historian kept records of the march, and surveyors made maps that served as the basis for the geography of Asia for centuries. At the Granicus River he defeated a large body of Persian cavalry, four times the size of his own. Then he marched southward along the coast, freeing the Greek cities from Persian rule and making them his allies. Alexander charged with his cavalry against Darius who ultimately fled. Alexander then marched southward along the coast of Phoenicia to cut off the large Persian navy from all its harbors. Tyre was an island, held out for seven months until Alexander built a causeway to it and battered down its stone walls. Late in 332 BC the conqueror reached Egypt. The Egyptians welcomed him as a deliverer from Persian misrule and accepted him as their pharaoh or king. Near the delta of the Nile River, he founded a new city, to be named Alexandria after him. In March (330 BC) he set out to pursue Darius and found him dying, murdered by one of his attendants. His men now wanted to return home. Alexander, however, was determined to press on to the eastern limit of the world, which he believed was not far beyond the Indus River. He spent the next three years campaigning in the wild country to the East. There he married a chieftain’s daughter, Roxane. In the early summer of 327 BC Alexander reached Pakistan. At the Hydaspes River (now Jhelum) he defeated the army of King Porus whose soldiers were mounted on elephants. Then he pushed farther east. Alexander’s men have now marched 11,000 miles (18,000 kilometers). Soon they refused to go farther and Alexander reluctantly turned back. He had already ordered a fleet built on the Hydaspes and sailed down the Indus to its mouth. Then he led his army overland, across the desert. Many died of hunger and thirst. Alexander reached Susa in the spring of 324 BC. There he rested with his army. The next spring, he went to Babylon. Long marches and many wounds had so lowered his vitality that he was unable to recover from a fever. He died at Babylon on June 13, 323 BC. His body, encased in gold leaf, was later placed in a magnificent tomb at Alexandria, Egypt. The three centuries after the death of Alexander are called the Hellenistic Age, from the Greek word Hellenizein, meaning “to act like a Greek.” During this period, Greek language and culture spread throughout the eastern Mediterranean world. The Unani way of treatment was brought here by Greeks in which medicinal use of plants as a remedy for ailments including surgery also. The therapies include message, bath, swana, exercise, opening of vein to let out blood, cupping, leeching etc.
John F.K. International Airport (Google Map)
3 Hours Before Flight Time
4 Bedrooms
6 Bathrooms
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Reception on the arrival at Islamabad Airport by our Representative in the traditional way by presenting a Chitrali woolen cap with a feather to each member of the group. Transfer to Hotel Shalimar. Visit century-old bustling Raja Bazaar famous for hand-loomed pure cotton cloth, carpets, jewelry Bazaar for gold, silver ornaments, and real antique utensils available at a bargaining rate. Move to Kabul restaurant for lunch to have a real taste of Afghan dishes prepared on charcoal. After lunch moves to see world’s biggest The Shah Faisal Mosque, Daman e Koh, Shakir Parian, and evening tea will be served here in Monal Restaurant overlooking Rawal Lake. Move to Super Market to see the real market of every type of carpets and rugs gathered from Iran, Afghanistan, Kashmir, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, China, etc. some are very cheap and others are expensive require bargaining. Move for Barb Q dinner in the open-air restaurant. Rawalpindi is located on the route through which Alexander’s troops marched and camped here after crossing Marghala Pass.
After breakfast move to Margala Pass 28 km from Rawalpindi and walk on the footsteps made by cutting the rocks through which whole Alexander’s Army marched. The ancient trek through the Margalla Hills were too small to carry the chariots and towers brought by Alexander to reduce the enemy’s forts. Visit to a tall granite obelisk erected in 1868 to commemorate General John Nicholson some few yards away. Six kilometers North world’s oldest existing city of Taxila. In 327 BC Alexander sends his half army under Hephaestion to capture Taxila after crossing River Indus at Hund by making a boat bridge. He stayed in Taxila with Raja Ambhi and planned a war against Raja Poras. Visit Museum and the world biggest fifth century B.C University famous for mathematics, law, history, medicine, social science, art, astronomy and military tactics. Move to road side restaurant on junction of River Kabul and Indus to consume fresh fried fish with tea. Continue to Peshawar via motorway and transfer to Hotel Serena. After lunch visit the Historic city of Peshawar where history goes back to 5000 years but recorded history is 2000 years old when King Kanishka moved his capital here from North of Kabul. It is a labyrinth of mysterious narrow lanes, colorful bazaar, and mosaic of traders, travelers, Pathan and Afghan tribe’s men. Peshawar is famous for its brass and copper handicrafts the world over. Bar b Q dinner in Afghan Restaurant.
After breakfast visit the Peshawar Museum which has one of the best collections of Gandhara art in the world and sculpture illustrating the life of Buddha are laid out in chronological order. Move to legendary Khyber Pass 56 kms from here passing by Jamrud Fort, Shagai Fort, Sphola Stupa, British soldier’s Cemetery of 1878 and from Torkham observe the plains of Afghanistan. By pass a place called Katta Kushta where a section of Alexander’s army advance party was butchered after a feast by local tribesmen by making them drunk. Traditional Afghan lunch of roasted lamb in Landi kotal Bazaar. On schedule dates observe world most adventures Steam Train Safari build by British in 1920 on 92 bridges and 34 tunnels at the than enormous cost of more than US $ 4 million. This laying of Railway track was the part of strategic plan to stop Russian invasion on United India in search of warm water coast and back to hotel. Evening free at leisure to explore the cheapest carpet market of the world. These carpets were made in refugee camps by Afghans to earn their livelihood.
After breakfast move to Chitral. We stop at Damkot Hill or Churchills Picket. The Aryans settled here in 1700 B.C They built stone houses, elegant grey and black pottery, stone and wooden tools for cultivating the land, copper and gold for making jewelry. They composed the Rig-Veda the oldest religious text in the world. Alexander passed this way in 327 B.C with his 50,000 men army 35,000 of whom had come from Europe. He captured the town of Massaga now Kat Kala and terrified the defenders with war engines, moveable towers and giant catapults that he had dragged over the mountains with him. His men took four days to overrun the town defended by 30,000 infantry, 2000 cavalry and 30 elephants. Winston Churchill served here in 1897 and had numerous encounters with local tribes. To know more about him read his book “My Early Life” Published 1930. We again stop at Balambat the route from which Alexander enter from Afghanistan into Pakistan and see excavated graves of Aryans of 1500 B.C. The most spectacular section of the journey is Lowari Pass at 10,230 feet and then we go through the 10 km long tunnel. Reach Chitral and move to Hotel Hindu Kush Heights / Mountain Inn for overnight stay.
We will move in a jeep after breakfast to Kafir Kalash Valley where live the descendants of Alexander Army’s soldiers, still follow their own religion a mixture of animism, ancestor, fire worship and retained their original culture. These 3000 Kafir Kalash are pale skinned, fair hair and blue eyes live in 20 small villages of three valleys of Barir, Bumburet and Rambur. The Kalash women wear magnificent red and white bead necklaces and superb black dresses which flow down their back. These women are open and friendly and you can photograph them. If intimated earlier the head man will arrange for them to dance for you but it is more enjoyable to watch the Kalash woman during their own festival when they drink and dance. There are four annual festivals when there is dancing, singing, drinking and feasting and sacrificial goats are offered on smoke blackened wooden altars. The Kalash graveyards are quite startling where the dead are left in open coffins above the ground and many of the lids have fallen off so that the bones lie exposed to view. After lunch move back to Chitral. Evening free at leisure to explore bazaars for jewelry, semi-precious stones, hand loomed pure woolen cloth and woolen hats.
Domestic Flight available daily to Peshawar and to Islamabad. Move to Swat on the same route till Chakdara and then to Saidu Sharif along the River Swat and stop at Birkot Hill. It is the site of the ancient town of Bazira which was sacked by Alexander in 327 B.C. He took the town with difficulty and left a garrison here to keep the inhabitant confined in the citadel and himself moved North to capture the town of Ora. Mount Alam 9222 feet high which is sacred since prehistoric times Southeast of Birkot. It took seven days to evict the Swati off the rocky pinnacle. Alexander himself was present to superintend. A good account of this battle is given in Arrian, Anabasis second century AD. Move to next site the village of Udegram on the site of ancient site of town of Ora where Alexander fought one of his battles in 327 BC. The massive ruins of the castle scattered up the hill side and excavated area is of bazar of Ora dated back to fourth century BC Italian excavators who worked very actively here in 1950s deduced this as the most of the buildings were shops. Lunch in road side restaurant. Move to Hotel Serena or White Palace. This palace is of 1st Ruler of Swat now converted into hotel. Evening free at leisure to explore the town of Saidu Sharif
After breakfast it is an exciting journey to Kwazakhela along river Swat and then a two hours’ drive on a scenic road through steeply terraced hills and pine forest across the Shangla Pass with view down back to the Swat Valley to Besham. Khwazakhela town is worth exploiting for silver tribal jewelry, locally woven and embodied fabrics, carved wood work, semi-precious stones, real ancient coins and arrow spear heads. Besham is located on the greatest wonder of the modern world The Karakoram Highway. It connects Pakistan with China twisting through three great mountain ranges of the world – the aHimalayas, Karakoram and Hindu Kush and follow the ancient Silk Route. The highway is an incredible feat of engineering and an enduring monument to the 810 Pakistanis and 82 Chinese who died forcing a road through what has reasonable claim to be over the world’s most difficult and unstable terrain. Move to Abbottabad along the motorway through the off shoots of Himalayan range and stop over for lunch at Hotel Royal. Continue to Islamabad in a two-hour journey covering 121kms. Overnight in Hotel Serena.
After breakfast departure for Chakwal via Great Trunk Road which was constructed on ancient caravan route by Sher Shah Suri in 16th Century from Kabul to Calcutta. Chakwal is the gateway to Eastern Salt range came into being 600 million years ago when Tethys Ocean evaporated due to collision of Indian plate with Asian plate leaving behind trillion of tons salt in form of mountain range. Ten million years ago the common ancestors of men roamed here and two million years ago started making stone tools and eating meat. Forts, temples and Buddhist monasteries thousands of years old are scattered all along the road. Alexander the Great passed through Nandana the traditional pass through the range on his way to do battle with Poras on the bank of Jehelum River in 326 BC. Poras.The Great Indian Ruler was waiting on far side of River with a smaller force but hundreds of elephants. Poras was defeated badly near village Chillanwalla. Alexander famous horse Boucalifalios was killed here and buried in a stupa still to be found. Alexander personally led the funeral procession. He then entered the great beautiful city of Healcopolis was of striking sight the ceiling were of sold gold embedded with precious stones. Hanging from this vast ceiling were 100 chandeliers. Alexander stayed here for one year for rest. The site of this city still not excavated and from here he sailed to Thatta a famous sea port at the delta of River Indus in a specially prepared fleet. The group than move back to Kallar Kahar for lunch in a restaurant and then through the most modern six lane motorway to Lahore. Overnight in Hotel Ambassador.
Departure to airport after breakfast.
