TAXILA: An international delegation comprising academics and religious figures explored the rich heritage of the Gandhara civilisation during their visit to ancient sites and the Taxila Museum on Saturday.

The tour was part of the `International Conference on Buddhism in Pakistan`, which was organised by the Taxila Institute of Asian Civilisations at Quaid-i-AzamUniversity (QAU) Islamabad.

Visitors from 14 different countries, including the United States and China immersed themselves into what they called the `rich heritage of Buddhism in Pakistan`.

Prominent among them were Dr Yifa from Harvard University, Dr Stefan Baum from the Institute for Indian and Tibetan Studies, Munich, and Dr Dessi Vendova from the Museum of Fine Arts,Boston, the US.

The tourists explored ancient Buddhist monasteries, stupas and archaeological landmarks in Taxila.

Upon arrival, the scholars and dignitaries were received by Directorate General ofArchaeology Deputy Director Shah Bano and Taxila Museum Curator Humera Naz.

The foreigners were briefed on artefacts featured at the Taxila Museum. They informed the participants that there were 4,000 objectsmade of stucco, silver, gold, iron and semiprecious stones.

The visitors were also briefed on the history of the Gandhara civilisation, various stupas, statues and other artefacts.

The participants of the seminar were taken to the main hall which exhibits more than 70 stories on the life of Buddha, starting from the time of his birth till his death.

They were informed that hundreds of monasteries and stupas were built during the Greek and Kushan eras such as Sirkap and Sirsukh.

`Mainly, the display consists of objects from 600 BC to 500 AD, Director Shah Bano said.

She added that Gandhara was the second holy site of Buddhism and it was the place from where the religion spread to other parts of the world.

`Historians believe that the first statue of Buddha was created in Taxila. Archaeological sites located in citiesincluding Taxila, Peshawar, Mardan, and Swat are considered sacred among followers of Buddhism and have the potential to attract international tourists from Thailand and other countries.

Speaking on this occasion, Taxila Institute of Asian Civilisations Director Professor Ghaniur Rahman said the seminar was designed to Showcase Pakistan`s Rich Buddhist Heritage.

`It aimed to engage a wide range of stakeholders including scholars, faith leaders, tour operators, youth and communities in knowledge development and conservation discourse to preserve and promote the Buddhist heritage of Pakistan.