Postcard: The Khewra Salt Mines

We are very fortunate to have a hard working, good natured group of adventurous trip planners working at our Embassy.  These folks identify interesting field trips for us to take every few weeks so that we might see interesting and historic sites in the area.  One such place is the Khewra Salt Mine.

So a group of us set off on Sunday to see the Khewra Salt Mine, located about 3 hours south of Islamabad.  It is world's second largest and oldest salt mine (although they are all old, aren't they?) and is a major tourist attaction. 

Legend has it that the mine was discovered by Alexander the Great, 320 BC, supposedly since he noticed his horses licking stones on the land.  Trading started in Mughal era when the salt was available all over Asia. The mine was later lost to the Sikhs.  During British rule in 1872, the mine was developed by Dr. Warth, a mining engineer.  The Pakistan Mineral development corporation took over the Khewra mine, (and other smaller local mines), which remains the largest source of salt in the country with more than 350,000 tons produced per year.  Khewra mine reserves produces a 99% pure halite product, considered to be the finest in the world. 

Islamabad is a very clean, upscale and attractive city.  However, drive only a few miles out of town and the landscape changes dramatically.  The scenery becomes more desolate and rough, tiny villages dot the landscape, age-old farm machinery is powered by donkey and oxen.  People toil by hand in the sun, building, gathering sticks for brooms and roofs, and farming.  Cows, goats and chickens roam free range, sometimes tended by children.  Most buildings are one story, made of mud bricks with tree branches for ceilings.  Electricity and running water are scarce. 

Most of the 3 hour ride was on a highway.  The road was in remarkably good shape, no holes or rough spots.  Every now and then I saw a lonely figure, sweeping the side of the road with a handmade broom.  We rode through the mountains and later the salt flats.  We stopped at a roadside refreshment spot about halfway there.

Once we got to the town of Khewra, the single road was buzzing with activity.  Many building materials are exported from the region, and we saw many large trucks heavily loaded with bricks, gravel and other natural materials.  The trucks are highly decorated and fancy. 

At the mine, we were joined by some colleagues from Lahore, making ours a group of about 18.  There were many school groups there, and they were nearly all women and girls, colorfully dressed and giggling.  Several times diffierent people asked if they could take a picture with us.  One blond lady was asked if she was related to Madonna!

It was at least 100 degrees in the blazing sunshine.   While we waited for our tickets, we were greeted by various different animals roaming around.  

We walked the short distance to the mine entrance, past the two amusement park rides in operation, to where the British-era mine train would come and take us about 2,500 feet deep into the mine. 

 It has about 19 levels, we were on about the third one and there were many below.  I'm glad we didn't have to go in too deep, although it felt extremely solid and safe.  It was a good deal cooler in there, maybe 80 degrees or so, a relief.

The salt is brilliant colors of salmon pink and red, ranging to burgundy and brown, with some white mixed in too.  There are lighted salt bricks, and the light shining through is very pretty and interesting.  It is so strange to look around and realize you are standing inside a veritable mountain of solid salt.  The salt mine is a part of  a salt range which originated about 800 million years ago after a shallow sea evaporated.  Following geological movements, the salt range stretched to about 300 kilometers and the mine was formed.

One of the first things to look at is the Badshahi Mosque inside the mine, constructed of salt bricks.  It has pillars and rugs on the floor. 

There are other interesting natural formations, and a couple salt bridges over small lakes and streams.   One of the ponds is about 80 ft deep and perfectly reflects everything around it. There's a little snack bar area too.

It was a lot of walking up and down, not very well lit, but not at all difficult or dangerous.  The floor was very smooth and clean and relatively easy to navigate, although a stroller would have been out of the question. 

Our tour lasted about one hour, then we took the mine cars back out into the afternoon heat.  Everyone was starving and we gathered to eat our picnic lunches.  I think I threw back my entire 2L bottle of water in about 15 minutes.

Next it was time for some retail therapy.  The salt is carved into various shapes by local artisans, and sold in tiny shops lining the street on the way to the mine.  The most popular use of the salt is to carve it so that it can be used as a kind of lamp (plugs and lightbulbs not included!).  Since the colors are so beautiful, it looks particularly nice to have a light inside to use as a soft nightlight. 

I ended up buying a camel, a fish, an elephant for someone I know who loves them, and then just a lamp.  They are all heavy, probably 2+ pounds each, and about 8" tall.  I don't know when I'll ever get lights for them but enjoy them in the meantime, as decorative items.  They were extremely inexpensive, in the neighborhood of $2-4 each, and I would have bought more but they are too heavy to drag around.  Oddly enough, no one was selling little bags of salt to eat, I had planned to buy a few bags for each of you!  It is called Himalayan Rock Salt, and I actually have some I bought in Alexandria last year, at the Spice and Tea Exchange store where Steph used to work. 

Everyone bought at least a few things, and I think we boosted the sales of every shop in town by the most it has been since the last time our tour group visited!

The surrounding area boasts the ruins of a few Hindu temples, but we did not have enough time to stop.  A really fun and interesting day, spent with some very nice people.  It was pretty quiet on the way back as everyone was tired.  I was very happy to get home and take a nice, cold shower.