Photos of Peshawar.
Editor’s Note: Rare black & white photos of Peshawar dating back to 1860s are in the last portion of this page.
Khyber Train Safari. The Khyber train safari was a tourist train which ran between Peshawar and Landi Kotal through Khyber Pass in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province. The Train has been closed in 2006 due to washed away of railway track and bridges by flood. In this photo, the train is about to depart from Shahgai railway station and descend out of the Khyber Pass back to Jamrud, near Peshawar. The local tribesmen are asserting their right to free travel on the trains, a condition of the railway being built through their land.
Dean’s Hotel, Peshawar - 1946. Dean’s Hotel was constructed in 1913. It was built on 7.21 acres and was one of the most famous hotels in undivided India. Among its distinguished guests were Rudyard Kipling, Sir Winston Churchill, Quaid-e-Azam, and King Nadir Shah of Afghanistan (in 1929). The hotel was demolished a few years back and a plaza was constructed in its place.
A Very Old Poster of Dean’s Hotel Peshawar. This undated poster was published in Bombay.
Historic Dean’s Hotel, Peshawar - 1963. Photo taken by Bill Spence.
Another Photo of Dean’s Hotel- 1963. Foreigners (Jan Kiviniemi and Juhn Hartberg of United States Army Security Agency) bargaining with rickshaw driver. Photo by Bill Spence.rickshaw driver. Photo by Bill Spence.
Balahisar Fort, Peshawar
Aerial View of Balahisar Fort, Peshawar
Beautiful Peshawar in 1967. These photos have been taken in 1967-68 by an employee of US Air Force Security Service posted at Peshawar Base. It is the same Base from where ill-fated U-2 Mission was flown into Soviet Territory in 1960.
Peshawar City-2012
Sights & Sounds of Peshawar
Kawatra Building, Arbab Road, Saddar, Peshawar - 1963. Photo by Bill Spence.
A 19th century Palace, Arbab Road, Peshawar. It belonged to a young orphaned Sikh. Photo by Environmentalist.
Lansdowne Theatre, Peshawar. The majestic building of Lansdowne Theatre was demolished in February 2007. Photo by Environmentalist.
Peshawar Gift House - 1963. Photo by Bill Spence.
Western Gateway of the Gorkhatri Caravan Serai, Peshawar. Old Tehsil office Gate. Photo by Willard 84.
First Power House of Peshawar
Peshawar Museum. Peshawar Museum Photo by Khalid Mahmood.
Sunehri Masjid (Golden Mosque), Peshawar. Photo by Khalid Mahmood.
Mohabbat Khan Mosque, Peshawar. The Mohabbat Khan Mosque, named after the Mughal governor of Peshawar Nawab Mohabbat Khan who served under Emperors Shah Jehan and Aurangzeb and who was the grandson of Nawab Dadan Khan (who had been governor of Lahore), was built in 1630.
An Old Photo of Islamia College
Islamia College, Peshawar
University of Peshawar - 1963. Photo by Bill Spence.
Edwards College, Peshawar
Government School, Peshawar
Virsa Cafe (Cafe de Viento), near Hayatabad, Peshawar
Hastings Memorial/Chowk Yadgaar. Colonel Hastings Memorial (built around 1884-92 in remembrance of the first British Commissioner of Peshawar, Lieutenant Colonel Edward George Godolphin Hastings) was the old name for “Chowk Yadgaar“. Original Chowk Yadgaar visible in this photo was demolished and horse shoe shaped Chowk Yadgaar was built. Later on that too was demolished and present day ugly junk of concrete was built at its place.
Hastings Memorial (Now Chowk Yadgar) after Independence of Pakistan
Chowk Yadgar: Horse Shoe Style White Marble Monument. In 1969, the original Hastings Monument was demolished and a new horse shoe style monument of white marble was built to commemorate the shuhadas of the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War.
Chowk Yadgar: Current Structure. In the early 1990s the horse shoe style white marble monument was replaced with another dome shaped structure.
St. John’s Cathedral, Peshawar
Chowk Yadgar, Peshawar - 1963. The Monument is not visible in the photo. Its boundary fence can be seen. Photo by Bill Spence.
“Picture House” Cinema -1963. Photo by Bill Spence.
Metro Cinema, Peshawar - 1963. Showing “Deewana”, starring Sabiha, Ejaz, Deeba and Habib. Photo by Bill Spence.
Barracks at Badaber Station - 1963. Photo by Bill Spence.
A Snake Charmer at Badaber Station - 1963. Employees of United States Army Security Agency and their families enjoying the performance of a snake charmer at Badaber Station in 1963. Photo by Bill Spence.
An Aerial View of Peshawar in 1963. Photo by Bill Spence.
Khyber Pass - 1963. Photo by Bill Spence.
Another Photo of khyber Pass - 1963. Photo by Bill Spence.
Tribesmen Sitting Outside a Shop in Landi Kotal - 1963. Photo by Bill Spence.
A Street in Dara Adam Khel - 1963. Photo by Bill Spence.
A Gun Factory in Dara Adam Khel - 1963. Photo by Bill Spence. John Sheffer of United State Army Security Agency is seen in the photo.
A ‘Gun Inspector’ at Dara Adam Khel, 1963. A ‘Gun Inspector’ is checking the quality control outside a Gun Factory in Dara Adam Khel. Photo by Bill Spence.
Peshawar Bus Terminal 1959
Saddar Bazaar Peshawar, 1940s
British India and Afghanistan Border, 1934
A Sikh Cloth Merchant in Peshawar Bazaar, 1928
Royal Air Force Fighter Planes at Peshawar Airport, 1925
Ghanta Ghar (Cunningham Clock Tower), Peshawar. It was built in 1900 in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. The clock tower was named the Cunningham Clock Tower after Sir George Cunningham, former British governor and political agent in the province.
Peshawar Zoological Gardens, 1920s
Caravan Serai, Peshawar, 1920
Rare Photos of Peshawar; Edwards Gate, Peshawar - 1920
Old Photos of Peshawar: British Infantry Lines Peshawar, 1910s
Rare Photos of Peshawar; Saddar Bazaar Peshawar, 1910s
Old Photos of Peshawar; Kissa (Qissa) Khawani Bazar, Peshawar - 1910
Rare Photos of Peshawar; The Duchess of Connaught Hospital, Peshawar, 1906
Rare Photos of Peshawar: A Caravan Arrived in Peshawar from Kabul - 1905
Peshawar Zoo - 1890
North Entrance Gate of Peshawar City, 1880s
The Elephants Battery in Peshawar, 1880s
Jamrud Fort, at the Entrance of Khyber Pass, 1880s
Rare Photos of Peshawar; Kuki Khels Native Regiment, Peshawar, 1880s
Old Photos of Peshawar: Afridi Soldiers from Khyber Pass, 1887
Old Photos of Peshawar: Principal Street of Peshawar, 1886
Rare Photos of Peshawar: The Tent of an Officer with Servants and Horses at Peshawar, 1883
Pashtun Men with Governor and Deputy Governor, Outside Governor’s Compound, Peshawar, 1880
Old Photos of Peshawar: View of Peshawar and St. John’s Church, 1878. Photograph of Peshawar, with a view across the cantonment towards St. John’s Church and the distant mountains of the Khyber Pass, taken in 1878 by John Burke.
Old Photos of Peshawar; Khyber Chiefs with a British Political Officer at Jamrud Fort, 1878. Extremely rare Photos of Khyber Chiefs with a British Political Officer, Captain Tucker, at Jamrud Fort, at the mouth of Khyber Pass
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OldPhotos of Peshawar; Peshawar Fort - 1878. GT (Grand Trunk) Road is in the foreground.
Rare Photos of Peshawar: A Market in Peshawar, Photo taken between 1860s to 1880s
Old Photos of Peshawar: Peshawar Bazaar - 1865
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Large Visitor Globe
My beloved city Peshawar: I have so good memories of my early life being student of Islamia College Peshawar. We lived on Godwin Road (Now School Road) near Chotti Lal Kurti Bazar. There was Grindlays Bank On the Mall and an entry into Lalkurti besides Grindlays Bank was Ferozsons Book Store and one big book Store London Book Depot on Arbab Road next to Capital Cinema in the era of 1959- 1969. Now no such stores are there. During my last visit in March 2016, I found that the city is over-crowded and very poorly maintained streets with lot of smoke and pollution. I am still in contact with my few old friends of beautiful Peshawar.
I wish to find a time travel machine and go to old Peshawar…and feel those neat, clean and peaceful golden days.
Amazing collection. Thanks.
I love Pakistan I love Peshawar
it was the loving peoples era and beutiful pictures of old peshawar excellant
i appreciate the strugle of peshawar traders at that time
It was a beautiful and peaceful city, but after the start of Afghanistan war everything changed.
very very best pictures
I was born in Peshawar and my maternal father was Harris Lawrence Phillips of Edwards College.
I am looking for pictures of the old Peshawar Jail for some research work.
Aik tareekhi shehr jis ka purana naam Persh pPra tha, phir Paishawar aur abb Peshawar bun gaya. Zama khug Pekhawar.
From centuries Peshawar belongs to peaceful Hindko Speaking people , actually we Pushtu speaking people have no roots to Peshawar basically we were the outsiders who destroyed this ancient city so instead of writing Zama khug Pekhawar, a hindko speaker could write Mera Sonra Peshore.
beautifull Peshawar
Peshawar kho Peshawar we kana.
Aaah… My beautiful Peshawar, I remember some places. Photos of some places which I saw in my childhood i.e Chowk Yadgar, etc. which still come in my dreams.
It’s like time travel. The aura of the bygone era lingers but only in these spectacular pictures. Everything seems so well organised. Was a beautiful place worth living in compared to the chaotic concrete jungle it has become today. Wish Peshawar could be this beautiful again.
Such an amazing collection of pictures…..it reminds me of a Golden age era…. beautiful Peshawar, part of my country.
This is an absolutely amazing collection. The one of Qissa Khawani Bazar is my favorite. Thank you so much!
I lived in Peshawar 1937-1939 with my father’s regiment the 16/5th Queens Royal Lancers. I started school here when I was 4 or 5 yrs old. (I’m now 82)!! I have many wonderful black/white pictures of our life in India before the 2nd World War and before the separation. Just stumbled upon your site and found it absolutely wonderful and fascinating. Joan
Nice to hear that you spent your childhood in Peshawar. Would you kindly share your experiences , people attitude, community etc etc of that time. I am a Peshawarite and keenly interested to know the life of peopele of undivided India ,particularly Peshawar. If you have a facebook account or would like to reply me,please note my Email : sareerk@yahoo.com You can reach my facebook account by writing the following in Facbook search column. Have a good day Joan Meek .
sareer.khan@piac.aero
Joan Meeks,
It will be a wonderful addition to the collection of Old Peshawar and will be much appreciated. Please share these wonderful black/white pictures.
Incredibly beautiful pictures of old British Ruled Peshawar. Ahh..those were the days. British India was a hundred times more beautiful and better maintained and ruled than todays current Pakistan and India.
I love PESHAWAR.
I saw these pics and it made me drowsy for a while and at the same while I compared these pics with Riyadh Saudi Arabia) Dubai (UAE) and many more cities for the same period. It made me disappointed totally because ii that period many more rich countries were passing through darkness while our motherland was shining, there is no comparison like it so it is our ill fate what we are doing now and looking now and what will be onward.
I was born here in 1939. After the Partition, now I am living in Mumbai. Only the other day, without any rhyme or reason, I just spurted out to my daughter, “Peshawar dekhne ka bada dil kar raha, hai” and next thing I come across this gem of a ‘site’.
Thank you and God bless you. Abb Peshawar door nahi, Roze ja sakta hoon.
Bajaj ! where you lived in Peshawar? Please also tell me how were the relations of Hindus and Muslims there before Partition?
It is an extra ordinary effort by some one, I appreciate it.
Excellent collection of old photos of Peshawar, which is typical same as other South Asian cities. My interest was to see it as this city is linked to our cinema heroes like Prithviraj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar. I wish we can turn the clock backwards by a Century.
I appreciate your feelings. would that we were able to reach past.
Awesome pictures……I have no words to praise this effort.
Many a timse my father visited Landi Kotal, etc and took the pictures. These are absolutely the same. I remember many places.
Amazing and nice pictures of Peshawar.
Thanks to all those guys who captured these rare pictures.
My eyes are wet as I see these pics. what a difference between today’s materialistic and colorless Peshawar and yesterday’s simple and colorful Peshawar.
On seeing these pictures, I can say “Aata hai yad mujh ko guzra hua zamana”, my childhood days of 1946-47 before Partition.
Remarkable Collection, indeed.
NN Tangri,
Have you visited Peshawar after Partition? Peshawar has changed a lot but there are still some places which reminds me of old Peshawar.
Beautiful and amazing pictures …. Excellent !!
Thanks for uploading.
Nothing better than witnessing the history of your own beloved city in a great chronological order.
I just love these pictures!!
Great moments of Life, captured by camera eye!!
These are amazing pictures of Peshawar. I like the photo of Afridi soldiers.
A very fine collection of pics with fine remarks and comments also. Keep it up all !
Peshawar was really beautiful then don’t know what happened to the City & people.
Thanks a lot for showing pics, for the first time I have seen the City so close.
I like these pictures of Peshawar very much. Peshawar is the heart of KPK. These pictures are also really heart touching & amazing.
I really like all the collection, and for a few time I had gone to the past of calm, clean ,and innocent Peshawar. Well done.
Amazing collection. It’s so sad in seeing that unfortunately instead of going forward, we have even destroyed our ancient heritage. I am so disappointed that we were far better in the past than today. Hopefully soon the city will regain it’s lost glory.
I fully agree with you.
Zama da taraf na yo jahan manana.
Wonderful pictures of old glorious days when the sane people ruled over here with their sincerity, devotion, zeal and zest. if they are compared with the rulers of today then anybody can guess the present rulers’ commitment and sincerity. We find today’s rulers grabbers of wealth, snatchers of health, corrupting the system and giving way to inefficient, lethargic, loyalists, etc.
It is very good that some one showed the past golden moments of Peshawar. It is history of Peshawar for the new generation. I have no words to praise this great job.
Masha Allah!! Dil khush kar diya!!!
I like this website very much and its pictures are amazing. I like it the most.
Great photos!! Anybody have ancient photos of Charsadda?
Your collection of photos is adorable. Your efforts to preserve history of this ancient city, are highly appreciated. Well done.
A rare collection of photos of the land of brave people.
Fantastic pictures, really mind blowing. Great collection, love it!!
My goodness!! You made me fell in love with past of Peshawar…you compare the people seen in pictures and the contentment on their faces…I wish we could go back to our past!!!
I want Peshawar to be the greatest city of Pakistan. InshaAllah
Picture of clock tower reminds about a shop owned by my grandfather which was then taken over by uncle who later sold it. I was born in Peshawar and lived in Karim Pura. I can still remember days of my childhood city where I have lots of memories. Thanks for your contribution to memories of my childhood. I now live in UK.
Chanced to look up the site! An amazing collection and compilation which evokes a heart wrenching nostalgia!! Very well done!!!
Excellent collection of our heritage. Really heart touching and amazing. Yeh zindagi kay melay dunya mein kum na hongay, afsoos hum na hongay!!!
Maza aa gaya Peshawar ki history daykh kar. Thanks for information and good pictures.
I have no words to praise but anyhow a tremendous and marvelous work and a great contribution in informing us about the history by providing us historical pictures of the sweet city and the city of our sweetest memories. I salute to you. Once again thanks a lot. Tahir Orakzai from Achini-payan
I have no words to praise but anyhow a tremendous and marvelous work and a great contribution in informing us about the history by providing us historical pictures of the sweet city and the city of our sweetest memories. I salute to you. Once again thanks a lot. Regards.
Arslan Farooq Humraz, Village Panjpir, Sawabi
Awesome pictures. These kind of pictures are not available in this running life. So I love these pictures.
Very nice pictures; I native of KPK & lived my life in Peshawar but I couldn’t see these kind of historic pictures. Few places which I have seen in my routine life; and now it took me in my memories in the era of our earlier generations and their life style. Thanks for sharing.
Excellent! Wonderful, interesting, and most informative collection. Shabash!!!!!!!
Great! Wonderful job done by collecting historical photos.
Bohhat acchi pictures hain.
Bohat achhi tasweerain hain, khas tor per Qila Balahisar 1878 wali.
Very nice collection. So interesting and I really enjoyed that!! Thank you so much.
Amazing pictures of Peshawar. Thanks.