There are lots of forts, monuments, palaces, temples and museums in Jammu & Kashmir that are sure to captivate the tourists who have an eye for history. The following are some of the must visit historical places in the state.

Art Museum of Dogra

This is the place to visit for the die-hard painting lovers. Situated in the busy market complex of Mubarak Mandi, the Dogra Art Museum is a historic place in the state. The paintings that are displayed in the Pink Hall of the complex belong to various styles - both ancient and contemporary. An average of 800 different styles of the some of the rarest paintings is exhibited here.

Fort of Hari Parbat at Srinagar

This fort is a true reflection of the elegant Mughal architecture. Overlooking the scenic Dal Lake, this fort was initially constructed during the rule of the great Mughal Emperor, Akbar. It is located on top of Hill Sharika and renovations happened in this fort during the 18th century with the help of the Afghan rulers were in control of Kashmir then.

Leh Palace

The palace and its ruins speaks of a rich history that dates back to the 16th century. This was the place where Sengge Namgyal lived and ruled over Kashmir and neighbouring territories. This palace is precariously situated over a granite rock and it is quite a challenge visiting this place.

Fort and Temple of Bahu

Located on the shores of Tawi River, this fort is the most ancient in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. It has a history of over 3000 years as the temple and the fort are believed to have been constructed by Bahulochan Maharaja who ruled over this place thousands of years ago. The Dogra rulers, who recently took over the rule of Jammu and Kashmir remodelled the fort and did some renovation works to the temple.

Palace and Museum of Amar Mahal

This historic museum has an interesting French architecture and contains rare portraits and belongings of the royal families of the state. There is also a huge collection of paintings belonging to Pahari style in this museum which is a huge source of attraction of the art connoisseur.

Important Archaeological Sites of Jammu and Kashmir

There are many places of archaeological interest spread all over the state. Most of these places are given necessary protection both from the State and Central Governments, in order to preserve them for posterity. Some of the important archaeological sites of the state are discussed below:

Akhnoor

This is a scenic town found at the base of the might Himalayan mountain range. Many excavations have been conducted here and they have proved that Akhnoor held a significant place in the historic Harappan Valley Civilisation that happened in India. It was proved that Akhnoor was the last bastion of this Civilisation as many objects of anthropological importance, figures made of terracotta, images of Buddha and coins used during the Civilisation were excavated from this area.

Burzahom

This is another famous archaeological site that is located in Srinagar at an altitude of 1800m above sea level. Many excavations were conducted in this area in a phased manner, which proved that this area was the hub of different cultures belonging to Periods I, II, III and IV, Neolithic, Megalithic and other Historical periods. Various dwelling pits, chambers, wooden posts, articles made from perishable material, tools made from bone and stone, handicrafts, pottery, structured floors and mud-brick structures that were excavated from here proved the rich history of this place.

Manda

This place was believed to be the northern most limit of the historic Harappan Civilisation. Many excavations were conducted during 1976 to prove this point. Some of the materials that were dug out from here included jars, dishes, stands for these dishes, arrowheads made from bone, cakes made from terracotta, pottery belonging to different historical periods, masonry styles and many more.

Some of the other important archaeological sites of Jammu & Kashmir are Sun Temple at Kartanda, Caves and Temples of Bumzuva, Detah Mandir, Chakradhar Ancient Sites, Temples dedicated to Sugandhesa and Shankaragauriswara, Pambaran Ancient Site Remains, Cave Temple of Vishveshwara, Trilochannath Temple, Khanpur Sarai, Drass Sculpture, Various Buddhist Monasteries, Tsemo Hill, All other historic palaces and stupas, Temple dedicated to Avanti swami and Lord Shiva, Pathar Masjid, various tombs of erstwhile rulers, Sankaracharya temple, Temples of Babour, Kala Dhera and many more.