KHEWRA SALT MINES

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Sarah Khan

As the story goes, Alexander the Great was making his way across Pakistan stopped with his army at Khewra for rest. His army noticed that some of the horses the were sick and tired were licking the stones of the ground. One of the soldiers got curious and licked the rock too. Historians believe that this led to the discovery of salt mines.

Covering an area of 110 sq. km, 228 meters or 748 feet deep , the massive mine has over 40 kilometers of tunnels running some 730 meters, or nearly half a mile into the mountain under which the salt deposits are found.
To accommodate the fragile structure of the salt mine infrastructure collapsing on itself, only 50%of the found salt is mined. The remaining serves as support columns to hold up the mine structure standing since ages.
 small Badshahi Mosque, complete with a small salt minaret is one of the oldest structures of the salt mines. Made of varying colour of salt bricks, the structure is a master piece in itself.

Among tge structures built of salt rock, that of Minar-e-Pakistan and of Great wall of China are the most amazing ones and are always appreciated for its beauty.
The personification of a small post office made of salt bricks is a viewer catchy infrastructure of its own

The Salt Mines are situated in Pind Dadan Khan Tehsil of Jhelum District. Located about 160 km (100 miles) from Islamabad and Lahore, it is accessed via the M2 motorway, about 30 kilometres (20 miles) off the Lilla interchange while going towards Pind Dadan Khan on the Lilla road.

Inside the mines, tourists can enjoy an adventurous electric train ride that carries the passengers through the mine. It certainly is an adventure. Initially the train service was used to carry salt across the structure but altering its use to cater to the tourists certainly adds charm to the place.

The crystal gallery, and the carvings of verses and photos of Quaid-e-Azam, the founder of Pakistan- on the roof of a chamber add further attraction for the tourists.

Inside of the Khewra Salt Mine

To cater to the emergency needs of the tourists and laborers working at the mine, a dispensary has also been setup inside the mine, along with an asthma center to treat patients with respiratory diseases through ‘salt therapy’

Khewra salt mine is a must see place for all locals and international visitors. The impressive mine is one of its kind and deserves appreciation as the intricately carved structures are an epitome of creative thinking and how imagination can be used to turn a mineral into a memory.