world’s second largest salt mines (Khewra Salt Mines)

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                                  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 kilometres (124 miles) from Islamabad and 245 kilometres (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 kilometres (186 miles), extending from Beganwala near River Jhelum to Kalabagh near River Sindh. Width of Salt Range varies between 8 kilometres to 30 kilometres.

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 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 colourful lights. There are some rooms inside the Khewra Salt Mines that were mined during the Mughal times.