Mingora

Mingora is the capital city of Swat District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, on the Swat River. It is the third largest city of the province and the 26th largest in Pakistan, and the largest city and centre of social, cultural and economic activity in Malakand Division. The area around it has long been inhabited: Italian archaeologists found graves dated between 1520 and 170 BC, and the Butkara Stupa near the city is surrounded by more than 200 votive stupas, from the centuries when Buddhism was firmly established under Ashoka. Most of the city income comes from goods at the bazaar and from tourism. Taliban forces overran Mingora in 2007. The 2023 census counted 361,112 people.