Cunningham Clock Tower and Chowk Yadgar

The Cunningham Clock Tower, known locally as Ghanta Ghar, and Chowk Yadgar, the square a short walk from it, are two of the old city's best-known landmarks, and both were built by the British for reasons that had nothing to do with tourism. Ghanta Ghar marked Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee in 1900; Chowk Yadgar began in 1883 as a memorial to a British commissioner and later became Peshawar's gathering point for political rallies.

This guide sets out what each place is, its history, and how they fit into a walk through the old walled city.

Ghanta Ghar: the Cunningham Clock Tower

The tower was built in 1900 to mark Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee, funded by the Balmukand family, prominent local philanthropists and contractors, and designed by James Strachan, the city's municipal engineer. It takes its name from Alexander Frederick Douglas Cunningham, the commissioner of Peshawar who laid the foundation stone in 1898.

The tower stands about 26 metres tall on a base of roughly 13 by 4 metres, at the junction now called Ghanta Ghar Chowk. It marks the start of the old city's restored heritage trail, which runs roughly 500 metres through Bazaar-e-Kalan and Mohallah Sethian to Gor Khuttree, past around 85 restored buildings from the Mughal, Sikh and British periods. Walk it slowly, and look up: much of the best woodwork is on the upper floors of the buildings along the way, not at street level.

Chowk Yadgar

Chowk Yadgar sits at the meeting point of several of the old city's main bazaars, including Sarafa Bazaar and the lane toward the clock tower, which made it a natural public square from the start. It was built in 1883–84 as a memorial to Colonel E. C. Hastings, the first British commissioner of Peshawar, who died in December 1884; the original structure was a domed pavilion on a raised platform with an inscription in English, Persian and Pashto.

Its central position made it Peshawar's main gathering place for public meetings and protests through the colonial period, including demonstrations in the independence movement. The square was rebuilt in the 1960s as a memorial to those who died in the 1965 war with India, which is the form it takes today: a paved square used for rallies, vendors and, on ordinary days, people simply passing through on the way between bazaars.

How they fit into a walled-city walk

Chowk Yadgar and Ghanta Ghar are close enough together that most visitors see them as one stop, usually with Andar Shehr, the jewellers' street, running off Chowk Yadgar, and the Mahabat Khan Mosque a short walk beyond it. A natural order is:

1. Qissa Khwani bazaar, for a pot of qehwa to start.
2. Chowk Yadgar and Andar Shehr, the old city's central square and its gold and silver lane.
3. The Mahabat Khan Mosque, avoiding the midday prayer.
4. Ghanta Ghar and the heritage trail, ending at Sethi House and Gor Khuttree.

Our old Peshawar walking tour sets this route out stop by stop with timings, and our guide to places to visit in Peshawar covers it alongside the Peshawar Museum and Namak Mandi for a full day.

Is it worth stopping at both?

Yes, and neither needs more than ten to fifteen minutes on its own; the value is in walking between them through the bazaars rather than in either landmark alone. Chowk Yadgar in particular is worth pausing at for what it has been rather than for what remains to see: a British memorial that became a stage for the independence movement and now for national commemoration.

As of September 2026, the UK government advises against all travel to Peshawar, and Chowk Yadgar's role as a gathering point means it is also where rallies and demonstrations happen, so avoid it if one is under way. Visit in the morning or early afternoon on an ordinary day, and check the news beforehand; our guide to is Peshawar safe covers the current picture in full.

Frequently asked questions