The Khyber Pass was a major overland gateway between Afghanistan and the Indian subcontinent on Silk Road routes.
The pass cuts through the Spin Ghar mountains between present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan. Its relatively direct connection between Peshawar and Kabul made it strategically important for merchants, armies, pilgrims, and diplomatic travelers.
The Khyber Pass was not a single road controlled continuously by one empire. Local communities, regional rulers, and larger states all competed to control or tax movement through it. Its importance continued long after the ancient Silk Road era, including during the Mughal, Afghan, and British periods.
The Bolan Pass is another historic route through the mountains of the region, but it lies farther south. The Khunjerab Pass is much farther north on the modern Pakistan–China boundary.