Things to See in Pakistan

Of the 165 sites of the Indus Valley civilisation so far uncovered, the remarkable ancient city of Moenjodaro is by far the most impressive visually and archaeologically. Except for the stupa, all of the present layer of excavation is from around 2500 BC. There's also a museum containing relics from the site, including engraved seals and terracotta toys.

By far the best and most complete of the ruins of the Gandhara region, which once flourished in the remote valleys of Peshawar and Swat, are those of the 1st to 7th century AD Buddhist monastery Takht-i-Bahi, spectacularly positioned on a rocky hill. It was excavated (and stripped of statuary and friezes) from 1907 to 1913, and later reconstructed.

Graveyards stretch for many kilometres along the coast around Karachi, but the largest and most impressive tombs and mausoleums are concentrated at Chaukundi. The buildings are constructed of slabs of rock, stacked into oblong pyramids of cubical stone and carved with exquisite designs.