Taxila

Taxila is an important archaeological site in Indian subcontinent located in the modern city with the same name in Punjab, Pakistan. It lies about 32 km north-west of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, just off the famous Grand Trunk Road.

Ancient Taxila was situated at the pivotal junction of the Indian subcontinent 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.