Landi Kotal لنڈی کوتل لنډي کوتل (لواړګی) Lwargai | |
|---|---|
  Landi Kotal | |
| Coordinates:34°6′19″N71°9′19″E / 34.10528°N 71.15528°E /34.10528; 71.15528 | |
| Country |  Pakistan |
| Province |  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| District | Khyber |
| Tehsil | Landi Kotal |
| Elevation | 1,072 m (3,517 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 33,697 |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
| Calling code | 0924 |
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Lanḍī Kōtal (Pashto:لنډي کوتل,Urdu:لنڈی کوتل) orLwargai (Pashto:لواړګیLwāṛgai) is a town in the Province ofKhyber Pakhtunkhwa inPakistan, and the administrative capital ofKhyber District. It was one of the largest towns in the formerFederally Administered Tribal Areas, and is located 1,072 metres (3,517 ft) above sea level, on the route across the mountains to the city ofPeshawar.[2][3][4] Landi Kotal is at the western edge of theKhyber Pass that marks the entrance to theNangarhar Province ofAfghanistan, which is located just 5 kilometres (3 mi) to the west.
Landi Kotal is a tourist destination. It was the terminus railway station ofKhyber Pass Railway. A tourist train, theKhyber train safari was run on this railway. However, the train closed down in 2006 after floods washed away the railway track and bridges.
Landi Kotal is the main shopping centre for theShalmani,Shinwari,Afridi, andMulagoritribes of Khyber Agency.
Landi Kotal was the westernmost part of the Khyber held by theBritish during theirrule of theIndian subcontinent.[5] In 1897 theAfridis attacked Landi Kotal and other posts in theKhyber Pass. Although theKhyber Rifles put up a stiff defence, Landi Kotal was overrun,[6] as the Rifles lacked water.[7] The British counter-attacked with a force of 34,500 men underSir William Lockhart, defeating the Afridis, although the Afridis took the town again during the second Anglo-Afghan War.[8]
The Landi Kotalfort during the period of British rule was of the ordinary type, consisting of a keep and an outer fort with accommodation for 5 British officers and 500 native officers and men. From 1899, like the other posts in the Khyber, it had been garrisoned by the Khyber Rifles, an irregular corps of militia recruited from the tribes of the Khyber Agency.[6]
In 1925 the heavily engineeredKhyber Pass Railway was opened, linkingJamrud to Landi Kotal.[4]
One such tourist attraction nearby Landi Kotal is theKhyber Pass, a mountain pass connecting Landi Kotal to theValley of Peshawar. Another, slightly less known landmark is abanyan tree, which was placed under arrest in 1898 by a drunkBritish officer named James Squid.[9] While Pakistan became independent from theUnited Kingdom in 1947, there is still a board on the tree notifying passerby of its arrest.
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