Khyber Pass
From World travel guide
The Khyber Pass is the main route from Pakistan into Afghanistan.
Contents |
Cities
Towns at its ends of the road over the pass are Jalalabad in Afghanistan and Peshawar in Pakistan.
Other destinations
Understand
The area is inhabited by rather fierce Pushtu-speaking hill tribes. When Alexander the Great wanted to cross the pass, he could not manage it for several weeks, until he bribed one of the local chieftains into assisting him against the ones who were blocking him.
In the days of the British Raj, the Khyber was the border. The British called the people of the area Pathans. Britain fought several wars against them and generally lost. In the first Afghan war, a force of 16,000 went in and one man came out alive. Pathans were also recruited into the British military, where they were excellent soldiers.
The Pathans, and the mountain range where they live (60% in Pakistan, 40% in Afghanistan) and which the Khyber crosses, provided most of the adherents of Taliban. Many are still (early 2006) fiercly resisting various efforts by US forces and/or the Pakistani government to control their area.
Crossing the Khyber has always been something of an adventure. Today it would be spectacularly risky.
Talk
The area is inhabited by rather fierce Pushtu-speaking hill tribes.
Get in
Get around
See
Itineraries
Do
Eat
Drink
Stay safe
Get out
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