Sibi, 163 km from Quetta, is of great historical importance. Alexander and the Muslim conquerors Muhammad bin Qasim, Mahmud of Ghazni and Nasiruddin Qabacha are all associated with it, and Mir Chakar Khan Rind, the legendary Baloch hero, built a massive fort nearby in the 15th century.
The British-era Victoria Memorial Hall, known as Jirga Hall, hosted the annual Sibi Darbar — presided over by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah as Pakistan’s first Governor General. It is now a museum of finds from Mehrgarh, Nausharo and Pirak.
The annual Sibi festival, with its famous horse and cattle show, is held every February.
Places to see
Mehrgarh
A Neolithic settlement at the foot of the Bolan Pass, around 9,000 years old — pushing the story of civilization in Pakistan back more than 4,000 years before Moenjodaro and Harappa. Its people lived in houses, farmed barley, wheat and later cotton, and wore ornaments of beads, shells and lapis lazuli.
Sibi Mela
Every February, tribes from across Balochistan gather for the horse and cattle show, with camel races, tent-pegging, folk music and dancing, and stalls of local crafts.
Jirga Hall museum
The old Victoria Memorial Hall, now displaying finds from Mehrgarh, Nausharo and Pirak.
Mir Chakar’s fort
The remains of the fort built by Mir Chakar Khan Rind, hero of Baloch ballads, in the 15th century.
The Balochistan coast
Over 750 km of coastline from Hub near Karachi to Gwadar Bay — long, unspoilt golden beaches, rich fishing, and colorful coastal customs, songs and dances.
Good to know
- Getting there
- By road or rail from Quetta through the Bolan Pass, or from the plains of Sindh and Punjab.
- When to go
- November to February, and especially for the festival in February. Sibi is one of the hottest places in Pakistan in summer.
- What to buy
- Balochi embroidery, rugs and leatherwork, sold at the festival stalls.
Header photo: Mehrgarh, near Sibi — mhtoori, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons