Khyber Pass
| Khyber Pass | |
|---|---|
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| Elevation | 1,070 m (3,510 ft) |
| Location | Afghanistan/Pakistan |
| Range | Safed Koh/Spin Ghar |
| Coordinates | 34°04′33″N 71°12′14″E / 34.07570°N 71.20394°ECoordinates: 34°04′33″N 71°12′14″E / 34.07570°N 71.20394°E |
The Khyber Pass (Pashto: د خیبر درہ, Urdu: در خیبر) (elevation: 1,070 m or 3,510 ft) is a mountain pass connecting Afghanistan and Pakistan, cutting through the northeastern part of the Spin Ghar mountains. An integral part of the ancient Silk Road, it is one of the oldest known passes in the world. Throughout history it has been an important trade route between Central Asia and the Indian Subcontinent and a strategic military location. The summit of the pass is 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) inside Pakistan at Landi Kotal. The Khyber Pass is part of the Asian Highway 1 (AH1). "Khyber" is the Hebrew word for fort.
Well known invasions of the area have been predominantly through the Khyber Pass, such as the invasions by Darius I and Alexander the Great and also include Genghis Khan and later Mongols such as Duwa, Qutlugh Khwaja and Kebek. Among the Muslim invasions of ancient India, the famous invaders coming through the Khyber Pass are Mahmud Ghaznavi, and the Afghan Muhammad Ghori and the Turkic-Mongols. Finally, Sikhs under Ranjit Singh captured the Khyber Pass in 1834 until they were defeated by the forces of Wazir Akbar Khan in 1837. Hari Singh Nalwa, who manned the Khyber Pass for years, became a household name in Afghanistan.
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