Ranigat

Ranigat (Urdu: رانی گٹ‎) is a collection of 2nd century CE Buddhist ruins spread over an area of 4 square kilometers which dates from the Gandhara civilization. Ranigat is located in valley Buner of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Ranigat
رانی گَٹْ
Ranigat was built on a mountaintop overlooking the Valley of Peshawar
Shown within Pakistan
Ranigat (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)
LocationBuner
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Pakistan
Coordinates34.2306°N 72.4488°E / 34.2306; 72.4488
History
Founded2 nd century CE
Abandoned6th century
PeriodsGandhara
Site notes
ArchaeologistsAlexander Cunningham
Henry Walter Bellew
Official nameArchaeological Site of Ranigat
TypeTentative listing
Criteriaii, iv
Reference no.1879

According to the archeologists, Ranigat remained the center of Buddhist art and culture for centuries. Ranigat, has been a celebrated part of folklore, with songs and stories having been written about it.[1]

Rani Gatt (lit. the queen of stones in a Pashto) is a 2500-year-old Buddhist archaeological site belonging to the Gandahara civilization located in district Buner of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Raniagut is a good evidence of the Buddhist past of the area. The site is located on top of a hill, accessible by climbing the stairs constructed by the Japanese. The main attractions include; Stupas, a big rock erected by the ancient people at some distance that they probably used to worship. The city or the town was beautifully designed and stones from the local mountains have been extensively used. Raniagut is easily accessible through M1 and N35. It is about 20 km away from Swabi city and 100 km from Peshawar and Islamabad.

Etymology

The word Ranigat is the combination of two different languages ‘Rani’ and ‘gat’. ‘Rani’ is a Urdu word that means ‘Queen’ while ‘gat’ is a Pashto word which means a ‘huge rock’, so archaeological site of Ranigat, meaning "Queen's Rock". The referenced rock is on top of a mountain that is visible from far distances.

Site description

The site of Ranigat is situated on the top of a ridge, where the remains of the region's largest Buddhist monastic complex reside. Structures on the site include stupas, monasteries, shrines, drainage networks, and other buildings. Ranigat is a 2500-year-old Buddhist archaeological site belonging to the Gandhara civilization and is a good evidence of the Buddhist past of the area.

Access

The site can be reached by climbing the stairs constructed by the Japanese. The main attractions include; Stupas, monasteries, drainage systems and a big rock erected by the ancient people at some distance that they probably used to worship. The city was beautifully designed and stones from the local mountains have been extensively used. Ranigat is easily accessible through M1 or (Motorway) or N35. It is about 20 km away from Swabi city and 100 km from Peshawar or Islamabad.[2]


It is a big stone atop of the local hill, which is partitioning the two districts, Swabi and Buner district in the Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa province. The height of the Rani Gatt is roughly 40 meters and its width is almost 25 meters, giving a look of small minaret. The local people of visits this place and enjoys. It gives a wonderful view of the small, beautiful and green villages of District.

Conservation

Under excavation by a joint UNESCO-Japanese team since the 1980s, the site has had issues related to vandalism.[3] The site is now under surveillance and is surrounded by a barbed-wire fence.[2]

This site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List on January 30, 2004 in the Cultural category.[2]

  • Plan.
  • Stupa

See also

UNESCO Report on Ranigat

  • Takht Bhai (Another historic site in Mardan)

Notes
  1. http://www.dawn.com/news/1125480
  2. Archaeological Site of Ranigat - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
  3. Ranigat: 2nd to 6th Century AD

References
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