Khewra Salt Mines

Khewra city famous for having world’s second largest salt mines (Khewra Salt Mines) is located
in District Jhelum of province Punjab, Pakistan. The city is situated about 200 kilometers (124
miles) from Islamabad and 245 kilometers (152 miles) from the city of Lahore. Khewra Salt Mines
are located 945 feet (288 meters) above sea level. The mountains containing Khewra Salt Mines
are part of mineral-rich mountain range called Salt Range. Total length of Salt Range is
300 kilometers (186 miles), extending from Beganwala near River Jhelum to Kalabagh near River
Sindh. Width of Salt Range varies between 8 kilometers to 30 kilometers.

Contents:

1. Overview
2. History of Khewra Salt Mines
3. Rock Salt Properties Khewra Salt Mines
4. Photos
5. Map

Overview:

Khewra Salt Mine is a very popular tourist attraction with nearly 250,000 visitors each year. There
are several artistic carvings of salt stones placed in different areas of Khewra Salt Mines for
amusement of tourists. There is an electric train available to take visitors inside the mine. It is told
that engine of this train belongs to 1930. Male and female guides are available to guide tourists
about the Khewra Salt Mines.

There are several small ponds of thick salty water in different areas of mine. When light is
projected on the liquid in these pools it is refracts and produces different colors that look very
beautiful. Most popular carvings of salt stone among tourists are a replica of Minar-e-Pakistan
made with colorful salt bricks, a model of the Great Wall of China, a statue of national poet Allama
Year Event

326 Salt was discovered by the licking of out crop salt by the horses of Alexander The
BC Great’s army who was here to fight a battle against Raja Porus.

1500 ASP Khan local leader of Khewra informed Akbar The Great about existence of salt
AD deposit in Khewra. Mining was initiated by the orders of King Akbar.

1809 Sikhs taken over the Khewra Salt Mines from Mughals.

1849 British ruler taken over the salt mines.

1853 Aspiring of drinkable water discovered and conveyed to Khewra through a wooden
tunnel.

1856 Motorable road was laid down between Khewra and P.D. Khan.

1872 Dr. Warth first Chief Mining Engineer surveyed whole mines and introduced scientific
mining system. He laid out main tunnel at ground level.

1886- Railway Bridge (Victoria) was constructed over the river Jhelum between the Railway
87 Junction Malikwal and Khewra.

1889- Salt production crossed 50,000 Metric Tonnes.

90
1902 Hospital established to provide medical facilities to miners and workers of the Khewra
Salt Mines.

1914 The production was reached 50,000 Metric Tonnes.

1918 Two steam engines were used in the mines for carriage of rock salt.

1924- Powerhouse with Two Diesel Electric Generating sets, 500 HP were installed.
25

1932 Chain cutter machines were imported.

1933 Automatic loading plant was installed.

1971 Khewra Salt Mines were switched over to WPIDC.

1974 PDMC (Pakistan Mining Development Corporation) taken over the mines from PIDC.

1998 Mining tub system switched over to tractor trolley system.

2002 Khewra Salt Mines Tourist Resort established.

2003 Inauguration of Khewra Tourist Resort.

2005 Khewra Asthma Clinic was established.

2010 Renovation of Khewra Tourist Resort.

Muhammad Iqbal, a beautiful mosque made up of colorful bricks of salt stone, a model of Sheesh
Mahal made up of pink salt bricks, and a model of Mall Road of Murree.

There is cafeteria for visitors that meet immediate refreshment needs. There are also two souvenir
shops offering decoration pieces and lamps made up of salt stones of Khewra Salt Mines. Inside
the mine is a tunnel named crystal valley by tourists. It is a tunnel with shining salt crystal in the
roof and walls illuminated by colorful lights. There are some rooms inside the Khewra Salt Mines
that were mined during the Mughal times.

History of Khewra Salt Mines:

Rock Salt Properties Khewra Salt Mines:

Chemical Properties

Chemical Name Sodium Chloride NaCl

Mineralogical Halite
Name

Hardness 2.5

Specific Gravity 2.16

Chemical Properties

Sulphate Usually includes traces of Magnesium Chloride (MgCl2), Magnesium Sulphate

(MgSO4), Calcium Sulphate (CaSO4), Potassium Chloride (KCl) and
Magnesium Bromide (MgBr2)

Common Use Seasoning agent, preservation of food and edible purpose.

Salt Derived from the Latin word “Salarium” which means Salary, it served as amon
in ancient Ethiopia and Tibet.

Industrial Uses 1. Chlorine and its principle compounds

2. Sodium and its compounds

Chlorine Hydrochloric Acid, Chloroform, Carbon Tetra Chloride, Bleaching Powder.

Compounds

Sodium Sodium Carbonate, Sodium Sulphate, Baking Soda i.e. Sodium Bicarbonate.
Compounds

Uses Preservations for meats, Refrigeration process in Dyeing, Manufacturing of soap

and glass, Salt Crystal are also used in study of infrared radiations.
Photo Gallery
Map
' A wonder of the World'
Khewra Salt mine in Pakistan is the world's second greatest source of edible salt. " Wieliczka Salt
mines" in Poland are suppose to be the world's first greatest salt mines.

Khewra Salt Mine is one the most important salt range in the world. Here it is supposed to be
twenty million and twenty lakh of tons of salt present .Khewra salt mine range started near Jhelum
River and finish into Indus River in kala bagh. In north of the salt mines is situated Pothowar
Region in Pakistan. Though these are the barren mountains yet with the abundance of minerals.
Salt is the basic while Gipsum and coal is also available here.

I always wanted to visit Khewra mine and finally the day has arrived when i was there with my
family. Some things and some places are worth waiting for. It was a bright sunny day of March,
when the weather was moderate one. From Mardan it is situated about 297 km. It can be accessed
by two routes on Peshawar Islamabad Motorway. One is via Kalar Kahar Interchange, which is a
bit longer route, as here you have to cross Choa Seydan and then to reach salt mine. It is half plan
and half hilly road.

While another route is via Lilia Interchange. From Lila Interchange, Khewra salt min are just at
24 km distance. First Pind Dadan Khan would come in the way and then you have to cross khewra's
city main bazar and finally you would found yourself at the foot hills of salt mine.

HISTORICAL BACK GROUND OF KHEWRA SALT MINE.

In Khewra, salt is found in 326 BC. They are one of the natural wonders that have been discovered
by the horses. Well joke apart but this is the fact that while Alaxander The Great was staying here
with his army during his battle with Raja Poras on the bank of River Jhelum, and horses of his
army soliders were grazing here and there on this land, and suddenly they were found licking the
stones nearby. Later on it was discovered that they are salt mountains.

Khewra Salt mine is also been called as the 'Natural Museum on the Earth'. Total length of the
mine is 300 km, width is from 8 to 30 km and height is 2200ft to4990ft.
Offices of British officers during British regime
This time Khewra mine has 17 stories. Ground floor has been opened for the tourists.
According to scientific rules and regulations 50 % of the salt is taken from here for the
consumption while the rest of 50 % of the salt is left over here so that it can work as a pillar to
give a support to the mine range.

TIMINGS of the mine visiting are from 9am to 5pm, and there are no holidays except Eid
holidays when the mine is closed otherwise it remained open every day including Fridays and
Sundays.
It was such a wonderful experience for me. Though it was interesting yet a bit scary too because
getting inside into a long tunnel of mine which is about two km was a bit scary. It have recalled
me the incident that was happened with 33 miners who were stucked inside the San Jose mine in
Chilli.But receiving a lots of tourists and visitors on daily basis have make this mine tunnel much
lively.

Anyhow fasten your seat belts and lets enjoy the trip to Khewra Mines. There is a many trolley
train that took the tourists inside the mine but if some people wanted to go by foot, then they are
also allowed.
Mosque In Mine

Here is an Asthema resort center for Asthema patients. As Salt therapy is considered to be
beneficial for Asthema patients and this process has been called as Halotherapy. Salt is used as a
therapy in different types of respiratory diseases, allergies and Asthema.