Mardan ( مردان) is a city and headquarters of Mardan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. The name Mardan was given to a small area after the name of Pir Mardan Shah, a prominent religious figure. Gradually, a large surrounding area came to be known as Mardan. The area constituting Mardan district is part of Peshawar valley, which first appears in history as part of Gandhara Kingdom. Until 1937, Mardan district was a part of Peshawar district. In 1937, Mardan was set up as an independent district after the name of its headquarter's town. Mardan is the 19th largest city of Pakistan. It is the de facto headquarters of the Yousafzai tribe, although a significant number of Momands have settled there over the past years. It is the second most populous city in the province, located in the south west of the district at 34°12'0N 72°1'60E and an altitude of 283 metres (928 ft).