Baricot
| Baricot | |||
| State : |
 Pakistan
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| Province : | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | ||
| Coordinates : |
34 ° 40 ' N , 72 ° 13' E
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| Height : |
800 m
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| Residents : | 15,000 | ||
| Time zone : |
PST ( UTC + 5 )
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Barikot (sometimes also Bir-Kot ) is a city of about 15,000 people in the south of the Swat district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in northern Pakistan .
location
The town of Barikot, located about 800 m above sea level, is located on the Swat River about 20 km (driving distance) southwest of Mingora and Saidu Sharif . It is about 145 km to the southwest to Peshawar .
population
The predominantly Muslim population consists of Pashtuns and members of other tribal groups from northern Pakistan. Most of them have immigrated from the surrounding mountain regions in the past few decades.
economy
Agriculture formed the livelihood of the local population for centuries. In the city, which has been growing ever faster since the 1950s, trade, craft and service companies of all kinds have settled. The city and the entire Swat Valley are repeatedly hit by earthquakes; however, the newer concrete construction can withstand most vibrations.
history
Aurel Stein and Giuseppe Tucci identified Barikot with the ancient city of Bazira mentioned in historical texts from the time of Alexander the Great . Perhaps the ruins of Ghundai or Ghwandai belong to this period or even a little earlier . Today it is assumed that Barikot was - next to Taxila - an important center of Buddhist religion and culture in Indo-Greek times .
Attractions
The city, which has largely only emerged since the 1960s, has no sights whatsoever.
- Surroundings
- The excavation site of Ghundai, which can be largely dated to the 1st millennium BC, is located about 3 km south of the city.
- Near the Swat bank is a rocky hill with old defensive walls; It remains unclear whether this is the Bazira or Vajira fortress, which was already mentioned in antiquity .
- The Buddhist stupas of Shingardara and Amlukdara are about 5 to 8 km away.
