Hasan Abdal (Punjabi, ), is a city in the Attock District of Punjab Province in Pakistan, located 40 km northwest of the country's capital city, Islamabad. Hassan Abdal is the headquarters of Hasan Abdal Tehsil (sub-district). As home of the Gurdwara Panja Sahib, one of the most sacred sites in Sikhism, Hasan Abdal is an important pilgrimage destination. The city is also notable for its association with the 16th century Mughal Emperor Akbar - several monuments in the town date to the Akbar period, including the Mughal Gardens of Wah, Hakimon ka Maqbara, and the Tomb of Lala Rukh. Hasan Abdal is also near the city of Taxila – a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for its ancient-era Hindu and Buddhist ruins. Location Hasan Abdal is located near northern Punjab's boundary with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and was the location from which Mughal war expeditions were sent to the northwestern frontier. In modern times, Hasan Abdal lies at the intersection of the Karakoram Highway, and the M1 Motorway. As part of the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Hasan Abdal area will serve as the terminus for CPEC's Western Alignment, while the Hakla–Dera Ismail Khan Motorway will commence at Hasan Abdal. History The famous Chinese traveler Xuanzang who visited the place in the 7th century A.D. mentions the sacred spring of Elapatra about 70 li to the northwest of Taxila which has been identified as the spring at of Gurdwara Panja Sahib. The town is mentioned in Ain-i-Akbari in the context that Shams al-Din built himself a vault there in which Hakim Abu’l Fath lies buried. Akbar’s visit to the town on his way back from Kashmir is also mentioned. William Finch who travelled through India between 1608 and 1611 described Hasan Abdal to be a "pleasant town with a small river and many fair tanks in which are many fishes with golden rings in their noses ...; the water so clear that you may see a penny in the bottom". The town was the seat for Mughal warring expeditions to the northwest frontier. The Mughal emperor Jehangir mentions the town in his Tuzk-e-Jahangiri by the name of Baba Hasan Abdal where he stayed for three days. He also praised the city in these words: "The celebrated place at this station is a spring which flows from the foot of a little hill, exceedingly clear, sweet and nice...". Hasan Abdal was visited