What is Peshawar?
{{Infobox settlement | name = Peshawar | official_name = | native_name = {{lang|ps|{{script/Arabic|پېښوَرٌ}}}} | native_name_lang = | settlement_type = Valley of Peshawar | image_skyline = File:PeshawarCollage.jpg | image_caption = | nickname = ''Paris of the Pashtuns'' | image_map = }} '''Peshawar''' is a city in [[Pakistan]], and it is the [[Capital (city)|capital]] of [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]]. With a population of 1,970,042 according to the 2017 [[census]], Peshawar is the largest city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the sixth-largest in Pakistan. ==Etymology== Peshawar is derived from '''Purushapura''' which means city of men (In [[Sanskrit]] Purusha means Man and Pura means settlement). It is also locally pronounced as '''Pekhawar'''. == History == Peshawar is in a valley near the historic [[Khyber Pass]], close to the border with [[Afghanistan]], Peshawar's recorded history dates back to at least 539 BCE, making it the oldest city in Pakistan and one of the oldest in [[South Asia]]. Peshawar was the capital of the ancient [[Kushan Empire]] and also served as the capital for the [[Durrani Empire]]. ==Geography== The city has always been very important as it served as a trading center during the [[Mughal Empire]]. It is connected to important places in the country by road, rail and air. == Demographics == The main language spoken in Peshawar is [[Pashto]] while some speak [[Hindko]]. [[Urdu]] is understood throughout the city. ===Religions=== Peshawar is mostly [[Muslim]] which make 98.5% of the city's population in the 1998 census. [[Christians]] make up the second largest religious group with around 20,000 adherents, while over 7,000 members of the [[Ahmadiyya]] Muslim Community live in Peshawar. [[Hindus]] and [[Sikhs]] are also found in the city − though most of them migrated to [[India]] following the [[Partition of India]] in 1947. ===Afghan refugees=== In 2005, Peshawar district was home to 611,501 Afghan [[refugee]]s — who made-up 19.7% o