Khewra Salt Mines are situated in the foothills of the Salt Range Jhelum District, at about 160 kilometers from Islamabad and 260 kilometers from Lahore. It catches the attention of up to 40,000 visitors per annul and is the second largest salt mine in the world. Khewra Salt Mines are the oldest in the South Asia.
According to historians, Salt has been mined at Khewra since 320 BC following the discovery by Alexander’s troops, in an secretive region of about 110 square kilometers. Dr. Warth in 1872 had developed the main tunnel at ground level and that main tunnel has since been transformed into a tourist resort. Khewra salt mine has estimated total of 220 million tonnes of rock salt deposits. The current production from the mine is 465,000 tons salt per annul.
The mine-head buildings have 19 stories, with 11 below ground. Only 50% salt is mined and 50% is left as pillars to sustain the mountain. The salt-mine is 945 feet above sea level and extends around 2,400 feet inside the mountains from the mine entrance. The collective length of all tunnels is more than 40 kilometers. Salt occurs in a Precambrian deposit in the form of an irregular dome-like structure. Salt is transparent, white, pink, reddish to beef-color red. There are beautiful alternate bands of red and white color salt.