alexander the great foot step

Alexander the great foot steps (356-323 BC). More than any other world
conqueror, Alexander III of Macedon, or ancient Macedonia, deserves to
be called THE GREAT. Although he died before the age of 33, he
conquered almost all the then known world and gave a new direction to
history. Alexander was born in 356 BC at Pella, the capital of
Macedon, a kingdom north of Hellas (Greece). Under his father, Philip
II, Macedon had become strong and united, the first real nation in
European history. Greece was reaching the end of its Golden Age. Art,
literature, and philosophy were flourishing.. Alexander was handsome
and had the physique of an athlete. He excelled in hunting and loved
riding his horse Bucephalus. When Alexander was 13 years old, the
Greek philosopher Aristotle came to Macedon to tutor him. Alexander
learned to love Homer's 'Iliad'. He also learned something of ethics
and politics and the new sciences of botany, zoology, geography, and
medicine. His chief interest was military strategy. He learned this
from his father, who had reformed the Greek phalanx into a powerful
fighting machine. Philip was bent on the conquest of Persia Alexander
prepared to carry out his father's bold plan and invaded Persia. Two
centuries earlier the mighty Persian Empire had pushed westward to
include the Greek cities of Asia Minor--one third of the entire Greek
world. In the spring of 334 BC, Alexander crossed the Hellespont (now
Dardanelles), He had with him a Greek and Macedonian force of about
30,000 foot soldiers and 5,000 cavalry. The infantry wore armor like
the Greek hoplites but carried a Macedonian weapon, the long pike .
Alexander himself led the companions, the elite of the cavalry. With
the army went geographers, botanists, and other men of science who
collected information and specimens for Aristotle. A historian kept
records of the march, and surveyors made maps that served as the basis
for the geography of Asia for centuries. . At the Granicus River he
defeated a large body of Persian cavalry, four times the size of his
own. Then he marched southward along the coast, freeing the Greek
cities from Persian rule and making them his allies. Alexander charged
with his cavalry against Darius, who fled. Alexander then marched
southward along the coast of Phoenicia to cut off the large Persian
navy from all its harbors. Tyre, on an island, held out for seven
months until Alexander built a causeway to it and battered down its
stone walls. Late in 332 BC the conqueror reached Egypt. The Egyptians
welcomed him as a deliverer from Persian misrule and accepted him as
their pharaoh, or king. Near the delta of the Nile River he founded a
new city, to be named Alexandria after him . In March (330 BC) he set
out to pursue Darius. He found him dying, murdered by one of his
attendants. His men now wanted to return home. Alexander, however,
was determined to press on to the eastern limit of the world, which he
believed was not far beyond the Indus River. He spent the next three
years campaigning in the wild country to the east. There he married a
chieftain's daughter, Roxane. In the early summer of 327 BC Alexander
reached Pakistan . At the Hydaspes River (now Jhelum) he defeated the
army of King Porus whose soldiers were mounted on elephants. Then he
pushed farther east. Alexander's men ha now marched 11,000 miles
(18,000 kilometers). Soon they refused to go farther, and Alexander
reluctantly turned back. He had already ordered a fleet built on the
Hydaspes, and he sailed down the Indus to its mouth. Then he led his
army overland, across the desert. Many died of hunger and thirst.
Alexander reached Susa in the spring of 324 BC. There he rested with
his army. The next spring he went to Babylon. Long marches and many
wounds had so lowered his vitality that he was unable to recover from
a fever. He died at Babylon on June 13, 323 BC. His body, encased in
gold leaf, was later placed in a magnificent tomb at Alexandria,
Egypt. The three centuries after the death of Alexander are called the
Hellenistic Age, from the Greek word hellenizein, meaning "to act like
a Greek." During this period, Greek language and culture spread
throughout the eastern Mediterranean world
Source: Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia 1998 ITINERARY:
DAY 1 : ISLAMABAD
Reception on the arrival at Islamabad Air Port by our Representative
in traditional way by presenting a Chitrali woolen cap with a feather
to each member of group. Transfer to " Hotel Shalimar". Visit to
century old bustling Raja Bazaar famous for handloomed pure cotton
cloth, carpets, jewelry Bazaar for gold, silver ornaments and real
antique utensils available at bargaining rate. Move to " KABUL
"restaurant for lunch to have a real taste of Afghan dishes prepared
on char coal. After lunch move to see world biggest " The Shah Faisal
Mosque", Daman e koh, Shakir Parian ( evening tea will be served here
in a restaurant over looking Rawal Lake ) and than to Super Market to
see real market of every type of carpets and rugs gathered from Iran,
Afghanistan, Kashmir, Uzbukistan, Kazakystan , China etc. (some are
very cheap and other are expensive but bargaining is must ) .Move for
Bar b Q dinner in open air restaurant . Rawalpindi is located in route
through which Alexander troops marched and camped here after crossing
Marghala Pass.
DAY 2 : RAWALPINDI TO PESHAWAR
After breakfast move to Margala Pass 28 kms from Rawalpindi and walk
on the the foot steps made by cutting the rocks through which whole
Alexander's Army marched. Visit a tall granite obelisk erected in 1868
to commemorate General John Nicholson some few yards away . Six
kilometers North world oldest existing city of Taxila. In 327 BC
Alexander send his half army under Hephaestion to capture Taxila after
crossing River Indus at Hund by making boat bridge.He stayed in Taxila
with Raja Ambhi and planned a war against Raja Poras .Visit Museum and
the world biggest fifth century B.C university famous for mathematics,
law,history, medicine, social science , art,astronomy and military
tactics. Move to road side restaurant on junction of River Kabul and
Indus to consume fresh fried fish with tea. Continue to Peshawar and
transfer to Hotel Greens. After lunch visit the Historic city of
Peshawar where history goes back to 5000 years but recorded history is
2000 years old when King Kanishka moved his capital here from North of
Kabul. It is a labyrinth of mysterious narrow lanes , colorful
bazaar,mosaic of traders,travelers , Pathan and Afghan tribes men.
Peshawar is famous for its brass and copper handicrafts the world
over. Bar b Q dinner in Afghan Restaurant.

DAY 3 : PESHAWAR TO KHYBER PASS
After breakfast visit the Peshawar Museum has one of the best
collection of Gandhara art in the world and sculpture illustrating the
life of Buddha are laid out in chronological order. Move to
legendaryKhyber Pass 56 kms from here passing by .Jamrud Fort, Shagai
Fort Sphola Stupa, British soldier's Cemetery of 1878. From Torkham
observe the plains of Afghanistan. By pass a place called Katta Kushta
where a section of Alexander 's army was butchered after a feast by
local tribesmen.Traditional Afghan lunch of roasted lamb in Landicotal
Bazaar. On schedule dates observe world most adventures Steam Train
Safari build by Britisher in 1920 on 92 bridges and 34 tunnels at the
than enormous cost of more than US $ 4 million. ( This laying of
Railway track was the part of strategic plan to stop Russian invasion
on United India in search of warm water coast ) Back to Hotel .Evening
free at leisure to explore the cheapest carpet market of the world.
( These carpets are made in refugee camps by Afghans to earn their
livelihood )

DAY 4 : PESHAWAR TO CHITRAL
After breakfast move to Chitral .We stop at Damkot Hill or Churchill
Picket .The Aryans settled here in 1700 B.C They built stone houses,
elegant grey and black pottery , stone and wooden tools for
cultivating the land, copper and gold for making jewelry. They
composed the Rigveda the oldest religious text in the world. Alexander
passed this way in 327 B.C with his 50,000 man army 35,000 of whom had
come from Europe.He captured the town of Massaga now Kat Kala and
terrified the defenders with war engines,moveable towers and giant
catapults that he had dragged over the mountains with him .His men
took four days to overrun the town defended by 30,000 infantry, 2000
cavalry and 30 elephants. Winston Churchill served here in 1897 and
had numerous encounters with local tribes . To know more about him
read his book "My Early Life" Published 1930. We again stop at
Balambat the route from which Alexander enter from Afghanistan into
Pakistan and see excavated graves of Aryans of 1500 B.C The most
spectacular section of the journey is Lowari Pass at 10,230 feet .
Reach Chitral and move to Hotel Mountain Inn for over night stay.

DAY 5 : CHITRAL TO KALASH VALLEY
We will move in a jeep after break fast to Kafir Kalash Valley where
live the descendents of Alexander Army's soldiers, still follow their
own religion a mixture of animism and Ancestor and fire worship and
retained their original culture.These 3000 Kafir Kalash are pale
skinned fair hair and blue eyes live in 20 small villages of three
valleys of Barir,Bumburet and Rambur. The Kalash women wear
magnificent red and white bead necklaces and superb black dresses
which flow down their back. These women are open and friendly and you
can photograph them. If intimated earlier the head man will arrange
for them to dance for you but it is more enjoyable to watch the Kalash
woman during their own festival when they drink and dance. There are
four annual festivals when there is dancing, singing, drinking and
feasting and sacrificial goats are offered on smoke blackened wooden
altars.The Kalash graveyards are quite startling where the dead are
left in open coffins above the ground and many of the lids have fallen
off so that the bones lie exposed to view.After lunch move back to
Chitral .Evening free at leisure to explore bazaars for jewelry, semi
precious stones, handloomed pure woolen cloth and woolen hats.

DAY 6 : CHITRAL TO SWAT
( Domestic Flight available daily to Peshawar and to Islamabad.) Move
to Swat on the same route till Chakdara and than to Saidu Sharif along
the River Swat and stop at Birkot Hill .It is the site of the ancient
town of Bazira which was sacked by Alexander in 327 B.C .He took the
town with difficulty and left a garrison here to keep the inhabitant
confined in the citadel and him self moved North to capture the town
of Ora. Mount Alam 9222 feet high which is sacred since prehistoric
times Southeast of Birkot. It took seven days to evict the Swatis off
the rocky pinnacle. Alexander himself was present to superintend. A
good account of this battle is given in Arrian,Anabasis( second
century AD ). Move to next site the village of Udegram on the site of
ancient site of town of Ora where Alexander fought one of his battle
in 327 BC.The massive ruins of the castle scattered up the hill side
and excavated area is of bazzar of Ora dated back to fourth century BC
( Italian excavators who worked very actively here in 1950s deduced
this as the most of the buildings are shops ) Lunch in road side
resturant . Move to Hotel White Palace ( Palace of 1st Ruler of Swat
now converted into hotel ). Evening free at leisure to explore the
town of Saidu Sharif

DAY 7 : SWAT TO ISLAMABAD
After breakfast it is an exciting journey to Kwazakhela along river
Swat and than a two hours drive on a scenic road through steeply
terraced hills and pine forest across the Shangla Pass with view down
back to the Swat Valley to Besham. Khwazakhela town is worth
exploiting for silver tribal jewellery, locally woven and embroided
fabrics, carved wood work, semi precious stones , real ancient coins
and arrow spear heads. Besham is located on the greatest wonder of the
modern world The Karakoram Highway . It connect Pakistan with China
twisting through three great mountain ranges of the world - the
Himalayas, Karakoram and Pamirs and follow the ancient Silk Route. The
highway is an incrediable feat of engineering and an enduring monument
to the 810 Pakistanis and 82 Chinese who died forcing a road through
what has reasonable claim to be the world's most difficult and
unstable terrain.Move to Abbottabad along the highway through the off
shoots of Himalayan range and stop over for lunch at Hotel Royal.
Continue to Islamabad in a two hour journey covering 121 kms.Overnight
in Hotel Best Western.

DAY 8 : ISLAMABAD - LAHORE
After breakfast departure for Chakwal via Great Trunk Road which was
constructed on ancient caravan route by Sher Shah Suri in 16th Century
from Kabul to Calcutta .Chakwal is the gateway to Eastern Salt range
came into being 600 million years ago when Tethys Ocean eveporated due
to collision of Indian plate with Asian plate leaving behind trillion
of tons salt in form of mountain range. Ten million years ago the
common ancestor s of men roamed here and two million years ago started
making stone tools and eating meat. Forts , temples and Buddhist
monestriesc thousand of years old are scattered all along the
road.Alexander the Great passed through Nandana the traditional pass
through the range on his way to do battle with Poras on the bank of
Jehelum River in 326 BC.Poras The Great Indian Ruler was waiting on
far side of River with a smaller force but hundred of elephants. Poras
was defeated badly near village Chillanwalla. Alexander famous horse
Boucalifalios was killed here and burried in a stupa still to be
found. Alexander personally led the funeral procession. He than
entered the great beautiful city of Healcopolis was of striking sight
the ceiling were of sold gold embeded with precious stones Hanging
from this vast ceiling were 100 chandilers. Alexander stayed here for
one year for rest.( The site of this city still not excavated) and
from here he sailed to Thatta a famous sea port at the delta of River
Indus in a specially prepared fleet . The group than move back to
Kallar Kahar for lunch in PTDC Motel and than through the most mordern
six lane motorway to Lahore. Over night in Hotel Ambassador.

Day 9 : LAHORE
Departure to home or to Delhi, Singapore, Bangkock (4 times a week by
air), Khatmandu, New York , Paris etc ( 32 destinations ) by direct
flights. INCLUDED : FULL BOARD, ALL THREE MEALS,HOTEL STAY TWIN
SHARING, ALL ENTRANCE FEE , PARKING FEE, ENGLISH SPEAKING LOCAL GUIDE