The beautiful valley of Swat, popularly known as the Switzerland of the East is holiday-makers delight and a hallmark of magnificent scenic beauty and rich historical past. With its roaring rivers, waterfalls, meandering streams, glacier fed lakes, pine forests, alpine meadows, snow covered peaks of Mankial and Flaksair, fruit laden orchards, lush green fields, flower filled mountain slopes and above all the friendly Swati people who are famous for their traditional hospitality, Swat is without doubt one of the most beautiful tourist destination in the northern valleys of Pakistan.
The Valley of Swat sprawls over 10,350 sq. kilometers. Summer temperature is maximum 22C and minimum 7 C. Saidu Sharif is the capital of Swat and its twin city Mingora is the largest and oldest market town. Madyan, Baharin, Miandam, Kalam and Malam Jabba are its main tourist spots. The elevation ranges from 991 meters (3,300 feet) above sea level at Saidu Sharif to the top its highest mountain Flaksair which is 6,257 meters (20,528 feet) high.
Swat was described as “Udyana” (the garden) in ancient Hindu epics. Alexander the Great crossed Swat River with part of his army in 327BC. He fought and won some of his major battles at Barikot and Udegram and stormed their battlements, before crossing over the plains of the five rivers. In Greek accounts these towns have been identified as Ora and Bazira. After the death of Alexander the Great the Greeks quickly lost effective control of their far flung colonies and soon the northern part of the sub-continent situated west of the Indus which includes Swat was annexed by Chandra Gupta.From the second century BC to the ninth century AD, Swat was cradle of Buddhism where at one time more than 1400 monasteries flourished. The ringing of the bells in these places of worship used to create a strange mysterious impression all around the valley. During this time Swat became famous as the hub of Gandhara School of Sculpture which was an expression of Greco-Roman style mixed with the local Buddhist traditional sculpture. Today, ruins of great Buddhist stupas, monasteries and statues are found all over Swat.
Swat is also the historical land where the Muslim conquerors, Mahmood of Ghazni, Mughal king Babar and Akbar fought their battles preparatory to the conquest of the sub-continent. Mahmood of Ghazni took the valley in the 11th century after a fierce battle at Udegram, where his commander Khushal Khan was killed and buried. A mosque dating from the 11th century has been excavated on the hill at Udegram. The history of modern Swat commences with the emergence of the Akhund Sahib of Swat as a charismatic religious leader and a reformer. With his help and support, Syed Akbar Shah established the rule of Shariat in Swat from 1849 to 1856. But after the sudden death of Syed Akbar Shah, Swat was again left unorganized. In 1915 the territory again started its progression to a more peaceful and stable life when Miangul Abdul Wadood, the grandson of the Akhund Sahib and a powerful political figure of Swat was unanimously declared by the tribes as their king. The Swat state was founded in 1917 by Miangul Abdul Wadood, known as Badshah Sahib. The state of Swat was accorded official recognition by the British Indian Government in 1926 and the title of “Wali” ruler was conferred on Miangul Abdul Wadood. Miangul Wadood abdicated in 1949 in favor of his son, Miangul Jehanzeb, who continued to develop the valley by building roads, schools and hospitals; and more importantly by institutionalizing land reform. The princely status of Swat, along with the adjoining states of Chitral and Dir, was brought to an end by the presidential order in 1969. And all of them merged in Pakistan. Now Swat is part of Malakand Division which is Provincially Administrated Tribal Area (PATA) of the Khyber Pukhtunkhawa province of Pakistan.
People traveling from down country on their own vehicles can take Motorway (M-1) and reach Mardan interchange from Islamabad in about one and half hours after covering a distance of 131 km. From Mardan onward they can travel via Takh-e-Bai, Dargai, Malakand Pass, Batkhella,Chakdara and finally reach Mingora/Saidu Sharif after covering a distance of 112 km in two and half more hours. The total distance from Islamabad to Mingora/Saidu Sharif is 247Km and it takes around 5 hours with one stop for lunch and refreshments. This route is open for all kinds of traffic through out the year. It is 171 km from Peshawar to Mingora/Saidu Sharif using the above mentioned route from Mardan onward. Total driving time from Peshawar is around 4 hours. For those preferring public transport, travel in air conditioned bus service is an option. There are several bus companies with regular direct service to Mingora from Lahore, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Mardan. Daewoo Bus Company operates most comfortable and reliable air conditioned bus service to Mingora from Lahore, Rawalpindi and Peshawar which also provide connecting bus services to the passengers of other major cities such as Karachi, Hyderabad, Bahawalpur, Multan, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Abbottabad, Mianwali etc
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