Mardan

Mardan مردان
Guides Memorial, Mardan
Mardan Mardan shown within Pakistan
Coordinates: 34°12′N 72°03′E / 34.200°N 72.050°E / 34.200; 72.050
Country	Pakistan
Province	Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
District	Mardan division
Tehsil	Mardan
Government
• Commissioner	Kifaiat Ullah Khan.
• Deputy InspeIctor General Police	Nasir Khan Durrani.
• MNA, Mardan I	Amr Haider Khan Hoti.
• MNA, Mardan II	Waleed Khan Yousufzai.
Area
• Total	632 km2 (244 sq mi)
Time zone	PST (UTC+5)
Calling code	+92 937
Website	MardanJALALA

Mardan ( مردان) is a city and headquarters of Mardan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. The name Mardan was given to a small area after the name of Pir Mardan Shah, a prominent religious figure. Gradually, a large surrounding area came to be known as Mardan. The area constituting Mardan district is part of Peshawar valley, which first appears in history as part of Gandhara Kingdom. Until 1937, Mardan district was a part of Peshawar district. In 1937, Mardan was set up as an independent district after the name of its headquarter's town. Mardan is the 19th largest city of Pakistan. It is the de facto headquarters of the Yousafzai tribe, although a significant number of Momands have settled there over the past years. It is the second most populous city in the province, located in the south west of the district at 34°12'0N 72°1'60E and an altitude of 283 metres (928 ft).

Mardan city map.

Bacha Khan Monument at College Square Mardan

Irrigation House Mardan

Kuzkandi Jamiah Masjid at Baghdada, Mardan

Bank road at evening

The villages are divided into Kandis have congested house. Each kandi is further occupied by sub-section. The divisions of Kandis are on the pattern of agricultural lands. Their houses are generally consists of two or three rooms and a court-yard turned as ghollai and varandah. The cattles and poultry are also accommodated beside the shelter for family.

Each Kandi of the village has its own mosque and its own Maulvi and a place of meeting or for public assembly called Hujra. In most cases it is the property of elders of the Kandi; who are expected to feed and give shelter to visitors/ travelers. These Hujras are commonly used for the settlement of public disputes/business beside public meetings. Residents of Kandi assemble there to smoke, hear news of the day and discuss their problems and politics. Now a day the people in service abroad have accumulated sufficient wealth which brought a distinct change in the life of the villagers who construct pacca houses of cement, bricks and timber.

A Tandoor (Oven) is also found for baking bread in many houses and some time women of three or four houses assembled on one Tandoor (Oven) for baking breads on their turn. The houses have huge compound walls around with gates. Chair and tables are used in the houses of well-to-do persons whereas others use the ordinary cot (Charpoy).

Mardan features in the novel The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye.