Nawan Shehr

Nawan Shehr (Urdu: نواں شہر) is a town in Abbottabad District, Khyber Pakthunkhwa, Pakistan.^[2] The town is renowned for the historic Ilyasi Masjid, the largest and oldest mosque in the district of Abbottabad.^[3] Behind the mosque lies a small hill with walking trails, adding to the town's scenic charm. During the summer, Nawan Shehr attracts visitors from across the country due to its pleasant climate. It is also home to educational institutions of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education. Nawan Shehr has its own old bazaar which is famous for its Chapli Kebab. The primary language spoken is Hindko, with Gojri also spoken in some areas. Nawan Shehr is located on the route to Abbottabad City and the tourist destinations of Thandiani and Nathia Gali along Murree Road, at an elevation of 1,216 meters (3,990 feet).

Nawan Shehr
Town
Nawan Shehr Show map of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Nawan Shehr Show map of Pakistan
Coordinates: 34°9′51″N 73°15′50″E
Country	Pakistan
Province	Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Division	Hazara
District	Abbottabad
Tehsil	Abbottabad
Elevation	1,216 m (3,990 ft)
Population  (2023)[1]
• Total	40,711

History

On the 3rd of June 1847 James Abbott, who would later become First Deputy Commissioner of Hazara, noted in his journal: "Marched to Nowa Shihr, 17 miles, a town of huts in a singularly beautiful and fertile valley, of considerable elevation. The wheat is still standing, although some of the ram crops are in ear. This would form a most desirable residence but for the fever with which it is visited during the rains and the swampiness of the soil at that season, I sought in vain for a quarter of an acre of ground near the town free from cultivation as a site for a shed to shelter me during the rains. I have ordered the erection of one, however, upon ground to be rented during occupation. The fever here seems to be less universal than in Pukli and Hurkishengurh".^[4] Abbott would later go onto found the town of Abbottabad as the capital of Hazara District ^[5]

The town, referred to as Nawashahir, was mentioned by British geologist Charles Stewart Middlemiss when he was doing a survey of the area as part of his geological fieldwork in Hazara for the colonial era Geological Survey of India.^[6]

On January 2018 a state funeral was held for Retired Air Marshal Asghar Khan was held in Nawan Shehr, Khan had been the first native commander of the Pakistan Airforce succeeding sir Arthur McDonald in 1957.^[7] Khan given full military honours with Pakistan air force jets flying over.^[8]

Geology

Nawan Shehr, situated at an elevation of approximately 3,954 feet, lies near the southwestern edge of a geologically complex region extending from Mirpur through Kakol to Mandrochh Kalan. The area is notable for its intricate stratigraphy and tectonic features.

• The Infra-Trias formation near Nawashahir is spread out as a flat platform.
• It receives a gentle synclinal fold of Trias limestone above it, indicating a relatively stable depositional environment compared to the more contorted sections near Kakool.

A straight and steady fault near Nawan Shehr introduces the Nummulitic formation, a significant geological unit typically associated with Eocene-aged marine deposits. Nawan Shehr is part of a larger geological rim encircling an alluvial bay from Mirpur to Mandrochh Kalan. The terrain transitions from steep, faulted ridges near Kakool to more subdued, gently folded platforms near Nawan Shehr. The area's structural complexity includes isoclinal folds, synclines, and fault-induced juxtaposition of formations.^[6]

Health

The town has one Basic Health Unit (BHU) that is easily accessibly to the public^[9] however due to public scepticism about health advice, the Ilyasi Mosque in Nawan Shehr (which has enough capacity to hold 35,000 people) was used by government as an educational setting for the public to learn about vaccinations.^[10]

Tourist attractions

Nawanshehr features some of its own tourist attractions, such as:

• Ilyasi Masjid (mosque)
• Bungalows (Locally known as Havelis) of Babu Sher Das.

In Nawanshehr there is a famous mosque that was built over a stream of water that flows from the mountain. The mosque stills stands to this day and still has water flowing underneath it. It is called Ilyasi Masjid. In front of it is a little pond-like area in which people can ride paddle-driven boats. The place is also famous for the 'Pakora' stalls.

• Naray a natural spring which is used as a public bath.
• Cricket Stadium^{[citation needed]}

Demographics

Population

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1951	5,668	—
1961	8,507	+4.14%
1972	13,644	+4.39%
1981	14,504	+0.68%
1998	19,871	+1.87%
2017	35,737	+3.14%
2023	40,711	+2.20%
Sources:[11][12]

As of the 2023 census, Nawan Shehr had a population of 40,711.^[13]

Religion

Religious groups in Nawan Shehr City (1881−1941)^[a]

Religious group	1881[15][16][17]		1901[18][19]		1911[20][21]		1921[22][23]		1931[24]		1941[14]
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
Islam	3,251	75.48%	2,939	71.44%	3,404	73.03%	3,794	74.51%	3,884	75.71%	5,075	79.12%
Hinduism [b]	1,056	24.52%	995	24.19%	1,069	22.93%	1,052	20.66%	883	17.21%	1,030	16.06%
Sikhism	0	0%	180	4.38%	188	4.03%	246	4.83%	363	7.08%	309	4.82%
Jainism	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	—	—
Christianity	—	—	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%
Zoroastrianism	—	—	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%
Judaism	—	—	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%
Buddhism	—	—	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	—	—
Others	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%	0	0%
Total population	4,307	100%	4,114	100%	4,661	100%	5,092	100%	5,130	100%	6,414	100%

Notable people

• Mohammad Aslam Khan, senator from the Pakistan Peoples Party
• Asghar Khan

Notes

1. 1881-1941: Data for the entirety of the town of Nawan Shehr, which included Nawan Shehr Municipality and Nawan Shehr Notified Area.^[14]: 19
2. 1931-1941: Including Ad-Dharmis