Bela, Pakistan

Bela, (ٻيلو) is an important city of Lasbela District in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. It is an ancient city in a historic track surrounded by hills above the Arabian Sea, nearly 180 km northwest of Karachi and 500 km south of Quetta. During the autumn of 325 BC, the settlement was part of the Asian campaign of Alexander the Great under the name Rhambacia (Ῥαμβακία). After Alexander conquered the town, he commended the place and thought that if he built a city there it would become great and prosperous and he left Hephaestion behind to build it. In 711 AD, it was part of Muhammad bin Qasim's campaign under the name Armabil.

Name
Alexander's historians mention the river name as Arabius, and local people as Oreitans. The Arab sources call it Armabil or Armanil. The Chachnama, in addition, uses the names Armael, Armana-Bil, Armapilla. It is described as the second port city of Sindh, after Debal.

Demographics
Majority of Bela's population consists of Sindhi speaking Lasis as well as some Brahui speakers. The population is predominantly Muslim with a small Sindhi Hindu community.

Significance
Bela and surrounding areas have some mineral reserves. 64 km north of Bela are the Kundi deposits where traces of chalcopyrite, Galena, and silver are also found. Manganese ore is also found in the ophiolitic belt of Bela. The tomb of Muhammad ibn al-Qasim's general, Muhammad ibn Haroon, is located in Bela.