The logical starting point for any visit, the Taxila Museum houses almost everything excavated from Taxila's many sites. Sir John Marshall designed it during his two decades of digging here, and the six galleries walk you through the story chronologically. The centrepiece of the main hall is a complete stupa reassembled from the Mohra Muradu monastery, flanked by exquisite Gandhara schist sculptures depicting scenes from the Buddha's life.
Look for the red sandstone sculptures in the corner galleries — these predate the Gandhara style and show what Buddhist art looked like before the Greek influence arrived. The detailed small finds in the table showcases include jewellery, coins, terracotta figurines, and domestic objects that give a more intimate picture of life in ancient Taxila than the monumental ruins can provide. The building itself is only one quarter of Marshall's original plan, but what exists is well laid out and essential for making sense of the ruins outside. Allow at least 90 minutes.