Takshasila
View of the Dharmarajika, an ancient stupa
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 Shown within Pakistan
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| Location |
 Pakistan
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| Coordinates | 33°44′45″N 72°47′15″E / 33.74583°N 72.78750°ECoordinates: 33°44′45″N 72°47′15″E / 33.74583°N 72.78750°E |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Founded | c. 1000 BCE |
| Abandoned | 5th century |
| Official name | Taxila |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iii, vi |
| Designated | 1980 (4th session) |
| Reference no. | 139 |
| Region | Southern Asia |
Taxila (from Pāli: Takkasilā, Sanskrit: तक्षशिला, IAST: Takṣaśilā, meaning "City of Cut Stone" or "Takṣa Rock") is a town and an important archaeological site in the Rawalpindi District of the Punjab, Pakistan, situated about 32 km (20 mi) north-west of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, just off the famous Grand Trunk Road. The town lies 549 metres (1,801 ft) above sea level. It is the headquarters of the Taxila Tehsil in the Rawalpindi district.
Ancient Taxila was situated at the pivotal junction of South Asia and Central Asia. The origin of Taxila as a city goes back to c. 1000 BCE. Some ruins at Taxila date to the time of the Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century BCE, followed successively by Mauryan Empire, Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian, and Kushan Empire periods.
Owing to its strategic location, Taxila has changed hands many times over the centuries, with many empires vying for its control. When the great ancient trade routes connecting these regions ceased to be important, the city sank into insignificance and was finally destroyed by the nomadic Hunas in the 5th century. The renowned archaeologist Sir Alexander Cunningham rediscovered the ruins of Taxila in the mid-19th century. In 1980, Taxila was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2006 it was ranked as the top tourist destination in Pakistan by The Guardian newspaper.
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