Type of Attraction: Sightseeing, Landmarks, Adventure
Activities: Shopping, Sports Events, Guided Tours, Hiking, Climbing, Water Sports Activities
Check-ins: Rawal Lake, Margalla Hills, Gandhara Resort, Monal, Pir Sohawa, Saidpur Village, Daman e Koh, Tanzara Art Gallery, Havelian, Hazara Waterfalls, Khairpur Dam
Location: Haripur is the main city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan, with Swabi and Buner to the west, about 65 km (40 mi) north of Islamabad and 35 km (22 mi) south of Abbottabad. It is in a hilly plain area at an altitude of 520 m (1,706 ft).
Importance: Haripur District (“The Town of Hari”) is a district in the Hazara Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. The town of Haripur (meaning ‘Hari’s town’) was founded in 1822 by Hari Singh Nalwa, the Commander-in-Chief of Ranjit Singh’s army. Before becoming a district in 1991, Haripur had the status of a tehsil in the Abbottabad District. Its headquarters is in the city of Haripur.
The region came under the influence of the Nanda Empire of ancient India from 300 BCE, however, with the rise of Chandragupta Maurya, it came under the complete control of the Mauryan Empire. Afterward, it was briefly and nominally controlled by the Shunga Empire. However, with the decline of the Shungas, it passed to local Hindu and Buddhist rulers and was interrupted by foreign rulers. Many of these foreign rulers, like the Indo-Parthians, Sakas, and Kushans converted to Hinduism and Buddhism and promoted these religions throughout Central and South Asia. The region reached its height under the Buddhist ruler Kanishka the Great. After the fall of the Kushans, it came under the control of the Gupta Empire of ancient India. During the period, Hindu and Buddhist art and architecture flourished in the area.
The area is rich in natural resources and contains two reservoirs, the Tarbela Dam and Khanpur Dam. Geographically, it is a gateway to Hazara, the Hazara Division, and the Pakistani capital Islamabad.
Haripur was built as a fortress surrounded by a wall that was 4 yards (3.7 m) thick, 16 yards (15 m) high, and had only four openings. That fort later became the city police station and local government offices.
Haripur is home to most of the Higher Elected Officials of Pakistan and its senate and is known for its flawless education system. Haripur has the most internationally versatile docks situated at the Tarbela Dam border and it serves as the pivot point for revolutionary industrialization in NWFP.
Drinking water was provided by digging a tank. Many small drainages were dug to carry sullage water. A small river, the River Dore, passes through the city, feeding the Tarbela Dam.
Noble Personalities of Haripur are:
- Ayub Khan, military dictator, and president of Pakistan
- Raja Sikander Zaman, Former Chief Minister, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
- Raja Aamer Zaman, Former MNA.
- Raja Faisal Zaman, Former MPA.
- Anwar Shamim, Air Marshal.
- Sardar Muhammad Mushtaq Khan, Former Tehsil Nazim MPA & MNA.
- Faisal Zaman, member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly
- Babar Nawaz Khan Khadim e Haripur, Former MNA.
- Gohar Nawaz Khan, Former MPA.
- Allama Syed Jawad Naqvi, Renowned Islamic Revolutionary Scholar, religious leader, and Quaran interpreter.
- Qateel Shifai, Urdu Poet, and Lyricist.
- Sohail Akhtar, Pakistani cricketer
Climate: The weather in Haripur is characterized by relatively high temperatures and evenly distributed precipitation throughout the year. This climate type is found on the eastern sides of the continents between 20° and 35° N and S latitude. The Köppen climate classification subtype for this climate is “CFA” (humid subtropical climate).
Distance: It takes 1h. 13min to travel from Islamabad to Haripur via the Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway as the distance between Haripur and Islamabad is 83.8 kilometers.
Tarbela Dam
Tarbela Dam is an earth-filled dam along the Indus River in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Located in the Swabi mainly and in some areas of the Haripur District of the province, The dam is about 30 km (20 mi) from the city of Swabi, 105 km (65 mi) northwest of Islamabad, and 125 km (80 mi) east of Peshawar. It is the largest earth-filled dam in the world. The dam is 143 meters (470 ft.) high above the riverbed and its reservoir, Tarbela Lake, has a surface area of approximately 250 square kilometers (97 sq. mi).
It is one of the biggest dams in Asia and the largest dam in Pakistan. Tarbela Lake has connected with different areas of the district Haripur. This lake is one of the biggest lakes of Pakistan and a reservoir and it is one of the peaceful and attractive places to visit.