Saidu Sharif facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Saidu Sharif
سيدو شريف
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City
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View of Saidu Sharif
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 Saidu Sharif
Location in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Saidu Sharif
Location in Pakistan
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| Country |  Pakistan |
| Province | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
| District | Swat District |
| Elevation | 970 m (3,180 ft) |
| Population
(2017)
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| • Total | 65,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
Saidu Sharif (in Pashto and Urdu: سيدو شريف) is an important city in Pakistan. It is the main city of the Swat District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It also serves as the capital of the Malakand Division. The city got its name from Saidu Baba, who was a very respected leader from the old state of Swat.
Saidu Sharif is home to many important buildings and old historical sites. These include the Swat Museum, the tomb of Saidu Baba, the royal palace of the former ruler of Swat, and the ancient Butkara Buddhist Stupa.
Contents
How Saidu Sharif Got Its Name
Long ago, Saidu Sharif was known by a different name: Baligram. In 1835, a wise Sufi saint, Akhund of Swat, came to live here. People often called him Saidu Baba. When he settled in the area, the city was renamed Saidu Sharif in his honor.
Weather in Saidu Sharif
Saidu Sharif has a type of weather called a hot-summer Mediterranean climate. This means it has hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters.
The average temperature in Saidu Sharif throughout the year is about 19.3 degrees Celsius. The city gets about 894 millimeters of rain each year.
- November is the driest month, with only about 22 millimeters of rain.
- August is the wettest month, with about 134 millimeters of rain.
June is usually the hottest month, with an average temperature of 29.2 degrees Celsius. January is the coldest, with an average temperature of 7.5 degrees Celsius.
| Climate data for Saidu Sharif | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 13.0 (55.4) |
15.9 (60.6) |
20.3 (68.5) |
25.8 (78.4) |
31.8 (89.2) |
36.8 (98.2) |
35.4 (95.7) |
33.6 (92.5) |
32.3 (90.1) |
28.0 (82.4) |
21.8 (71.2) |
15.3 (59.5) |
25.8 (78.5) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 7.5 (45.5) |
10.3 (50.5) |
14.3 (57.7) |
19.3 (66.7) |
24.6 (76.3) |
29.2 (84.6) |
29.0 (84.2) |
27.7 (81.9) |
25.6 (78.1) |
20.4 (68.7) |
14.5 (58.1) |
9.3 (48.7) |
19.3 (66.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.1 (35.8) |
4.8 (40.6) |
8.3 (46.9) |
12.8 (55.0) |
17.4 (63.3) |
21.6 (70.9) |
22.6 (72.7) |
21.9 (71.4) |
18.9 (66.0) |
12.9 (55.2) |
7.3 (45.1) |
3.4 (38.1) |
12.8 (55.1) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 81 (3.2) |
98 (3.9) |
125 (4.9) |
89 (3.5) |
45 (1.8) |
30 (1.2) |
130 (5.1) |
134 (5.3) |
64 (2.5) |
48 (1.9) |
22 (0.9) |
28 (1.1) |
894 (35.3) |
| Source: Climate-Data.org | |||||||||||||
Learning and Schools
Saidu Sharif is an important center for education.
- The biggest college in the area is P.G Jahanzeb College. It was built in 1952. Students can study for intermediate, Bachelor of Science (BSc), and Master of Science (MSc) degrees there.
- Saidu Medical College was built in 1998. It is one of the top government medical colleges in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
- There are also many schools in Saidu Sharif, like Govt: Wadudia High School.
- On July 7, 2010, the first university in the district was opened in this area.
Ancient Sites and History
Saidu Sharif is rich in history, with several important archaeological sites.
Butkara Stupa
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One of the most important Buddhist historical sites in Swat is located near the museum. This ancient stupa dates back to the second century BC. It is believed that the Mauryan emperor Ashoka might have built it to keep some of the Buddha's ashes. Over many centuries, the stupa was made larger five times. Each time, a new layer was built around the existing structure.
In 1955, Italian archaeologists carefully dug up the site. They uncovered the different layers of the stupa. Each layer showed how building methods changed over time.
Swat Museum
The Swat Museum is a famous museum located on the road between Mingora and Saidu Sharif.
The museum displays many interesting items:
- It has Gandharan statues and carvings that show stories from the life of the Buddha.
- You can also see ancient seals, small containers for relics (called reliquaries), and other valuable treasures. Most of these items were found at the Butkara No 1 and Odigram sites.
- The museum also has artifacts from before the time of Buddhism.
- There is a special section showing the culture of Swat. It includes traditional carved furniture, jewelry, and beautiful embroideries.
- A recent discovery is a stone board game found at the Buddhist Complex of Amluk-Dara. It's a type of game that people still play in the valley today!
How Saidu Sharif is Organized
Saidu Sharif is an administrative unit. It is known as a union council or Ward within the tehsil Babuzai of the Swat district.
According to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Government Act 2013, the Swat District has 214 Wards. These include 170 Village Councils and 44 Neighbourhood Councils.
Saidu Sharif is a special Ward that is further divided into three smaller Neighbourhood Councils:
- Saidu Sharif i (Neighbourhood Council)
- Saidu Sharif ii (Neighbourhood Council)
- Saidu Sharif iii (Neighbourhood Council)
