Public banned to visit Mohenjo Daro in Eid holidays

MOHENJO DARO: The authorities have prohibited general public to visit the ancient city of Mohenjo Daro in Larkana district of Sindh, for five days, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

The culture department of Sindh has imposed the restriction during Eid-ul-Fitr holidays to avoid any damage to the acheological site during rush of the visitors during the holidays.

The officials said the step has been taken to preserve the mounds of the pre-historic city, a world heritage site, from the rigours of receiving large number of the visitors. The site is threatened by erosion and improper restoration.

The culture department has called assistance of the police to avoid any damage to the site, sources said.

Built around 2500 BC, it was one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley civilization, and one of the world’s earliest major cities, contemporary to the civilizations of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and others. Mohenjo-daro was said to be abandoned in the 19th century BC as the Indus Valley Civilization declined, and the site was not rediscovered until the 1920s.

Significant excavation has since been conducted at the site of the city, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.