The Khyber Pass: landscape and connections

A passage through the mountains

The Khyber Pass runs through the Khyber Range, part of the Spin Ghar or Safed Koh mountain system. It connects the Peshawar region with routes toward Jalalabad and Kabul. Most of the pass lies in Pakistan, while its western section extends into Afghanistan. [1]

Places along the route

Jamrud marks the eastern approach. Ali Masjid lies in a narrow gorge farther along the route, and Landi Kotal is its highest point. Torkham marks the Afghanistan-Pakistan crossing. Beyond it, the route opens toward Mohmand Darra and the Kabul River valley. Afridi and Shinwari communities are important to the area's local geography. [1]

More than an invasion route

The pass has carried goods, travellers, and ideas as well as armies. Nineteenth-century British accounts often emphasized its military importance as a frontier of their Indian possessions. That perspective is only one part of its history: local communities, markets, and connections between valleys also matter. This entry describes geography and history, not current border access or travel conditions. [1]