(
Urdu: 'لاہور',
Punjabi: 'لہور',
pronounced ) is the capital of the province of
Punjab, and is the second largest city in
Pakistan. It is also known as the 'Gardens of the Mughals' or 'City of Gardens', because of the significant rich heritage of the
Mughal Empire. In popular culture, Lahore is known as the ''Heart of Pakistan''. It is located near
Ravi River and
Wagah close to the Pakistan-
India border.
As evidence of Lahore's rich history, much of the Mughal and colonial architecture has been preserved in all its splendour. Mughal architecture such as the
Badshahi Mosque,
Lahore Fort,
Shalimar Gardens and the mausoleums of
Jehangir and
Nur Jehan are very popular tourist spots in the city. Various colonial buildings originally built by the British, such as the
Lahore High Court, General Post Office (GPO) and many of the older universities, still retain their Mughal-Gothic style.
Punjabi is the native language of the province, and is the most widely-spoken language in Lahore and rural areas.
Urdu and
English, however, are becoming more popular with younger generations since they are officially supported, whereas
Punjabi has no official patronage. Many people of Lahore who speak Punjabi are known as ''Lahori Punjabi'' due to their use of a mixture of Punjabi and colloquial
Urdu. According to the 1998 census, Lahore's population was nearly 7 million. Mid-2006 government estimates now put the population at approximately 10 million.
[1] This makes Lahore the second largest city in Pakistan (after
Karachi), the fifth largest city in South Asia and 23rd
largest city in the world.
History
Main articles: History of Lahore
Ancient Lahore
Lahori Gate, which opens to the most ancient districts of Lahore in the walled city known in old times as ''kacha kot''
, the celebrated astronomer and geographer, mentions a city called ''Labokla'' in his ''
Geographia'', situated on the route between the
Indus River and Palibothra, or Pataliputra (
Patna), in a tract of country called Kasperia (
Kashmir), described as extending along the rivers Bidastes (
Jhelum), Sandabal or Chandra Bhaga (
Chenab), and Adris (
Ravi). This city may be ancient Lahore.
Another legend, based on oral traditions lacking in authenticity, states that Lahore was named after
Lava, son of the
Hindu god
Rama, who supposedly founded the city. To this day, the Lahore Fort has a vacant temple dedicated to Lava(also pronounced Loh, hence "Loh-awar" or The Fort of Loh). Likewise, the
Ravi River that flows through northern Lahore was named for the Hindu goddess
Durga.
[2]
The oldest authentic document about Lahore was written anonymously in 982 and is called Hudud-i-Alam. It was translated into
English by V. Minorsky and published in Lahore in 1927. In this document, Lahore is referred to as a small ''shahr'' (
City) with "impressive temples, large markets and huge orchards." It refers to "two major markets around which dwellings exist," and it also mentions "the mud walls that enclose these two dwellings to make it one." The original document is currently held in the
British Museum.
Early Muslim Era
There are very few references to Lahore until it was captured by
Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni in the eleventh century. In 1021,
Mahmud appointed
Malik Ayaz to the throne, and made Lahore the capital of the
Ghaznavid Empire.
The sultan had taken Lahore after a long siege and a fierce battle in which the city was torched and depopulated. As the first Muslim ruler of Lahore, Ayaz rebuilt and repopulated the city. He added many important features, such as city gates and a masonry fort, built in 1037-1040 on the ruins of the previous one, which had been demolished in the fighting (as recorded by Munshi Sujan Rae Bhandari, author of the ''Khulasatut Tawarikh'' in 1695-96). The present Lahore Fort stands in the same location. Under his rule, the city became a cultural and academic center, renowned for poetry. The tomb of Malik Ayaz can still be seen in the Rang Mahal commercial area of town.
After the fall of the Ghaznavid Empire, Lahore was ruled by various Muslim dynasties known as the
Delhi Sultanate, including the
Khiljis,
Tughlaqs,
Sayyid,
Lodhis and
Suris. When Sultan
Qutb-ud-din Aybak was crowned here in 1206, he became the first
Muslim sultan of the
Indian subcontinent. It was not until 1524 that Lahore became part of the
Mughal Empire.
Mughal Era
Roshnai Gate - Original Gate built by Mughal emperor
Akbar.
Lahore reached the peak of architectural glory during the rule of the Mughals. The Mughal emperors beautified the city with some of the finest architectural buildings and gardens that have survived the hazards of time. It was this reputation of Lahore that fascinated the
English poet
John Milton who wrote "Agra and Lahore, the Seat of Great Mughal" in 1670.
From 1524 to 1752, Lahore was part of the
Mughal Empire, and from 1584 to 1598, during the rule of Mughal emperor
Akbar, the city served as its capital. During this time, the massive
Lahore Fort was built. A few buildings within the fort were added by Akbar's son, Mughal emperor
Jahangir, who is
buried in the city. Jahangir's son,
Shah Jahan, was born in Lahore. He, like his father, extended the Lahore Fort and built many other structures in the city, including the
Shalimar Gardens. The last of the great Mughals,
Aurangzeb, who ruled from 1658 to 1707, built the city's most famous monuments, the
Badshahi Masjid and the
Alamgiri Gate next to the
Lahore Fort. This area attracts many tourists and is used by the government to address the nation and for social events. The Mughals were responsible for the beautiful buildings of lahore and without them lahore would be a shell of its ancient times.
Eighteenth century
During the 18th century, as
Mughal power dwindled, there were constant invasions. Lahore was a suba, a
province of the
Afghan Empire, governed by provincial rulers with their own court. These governors managed as best they could though for much of the time it must have been a rather thankless task to even attempt.
The 1740s were years of chaos and between 1745 and 1756 there were nine changes of governors. Invasions and chaos in local government allowed bands of warring Sikhs groups to gain control in some areas. In 1799 all Sikh Misls joined into one to from a Sikh Sovereign Sikh State, it was ruled by
Maharaja Ranjit Singh from the Royal Capital Lahore.
British Rule
Map of Lahore 1893
The second and final
Anglo-Sikh war, resulted in the British victory, bringing Lahore under the rule of the
British crown. The
British during their reign (1849-1947) compensated Lahore, by harmoniously combining
Mughal,
Gothic and
Victorian styles of architecture. The GPO and YMCA buildings built to commemorate the golden jubilee of
Queen Victoria - an event marked by the construction of clock towers and monuments all over
India. They built some important buildings, like the High Court. the
Government College,
the Museums, the
National College of Arts, Montgomery Hall,
Tollinton Market, the
University of the Punjab (Old Campus) and the Provincial Assembly.
At one end of
The Mall stands the University - perhaps the largest center of education in Asia. The city has built a new Campus in the quieter environments on the Canal Bank, but the old University buildings are still functioning.
For the sake of entertainment the British Government introduced horse races in Lahore. The first racing club was established in 1924. Now this club is called LRC or
Lahore Race Club.
Role in Independence
Lahore enjoys a special position in the history of India's freedom-struggle. The 1929 Congress session was held at Lahore. In this Congress, the resolution of "Complete Independence" was moved by
Pandit Nehru, the then young leader, and passed unanimously over the banks of Ravi, in the midnight of 31 December 1929. It was this occasion when the contemporary Tricolour of India (with a Charkha at its centre) was hoisted as a national flag, and thousands of people saluted it.
Lahore prison was always a place to detain revolutionary freedom fighters. Noted freedom fighter
Jatin Das died in Lahore prison after fasting to death for 63 days, in protest of inhuman treatment given by British government to the political prisoners.One of the greatest martyrs in the history of Indian independence
Shaheed Sardar Bhagat Singh was hanged in Lahore Jail.
The most important session of the
All India Muslim League, later
Pakistan Muslim League, the premier party fighting for Indian independence and the creation of Pakistan, was held in Lahore in 1940. Muslims under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam demanded a separate homeland for Muslims of India. This is called the "Pakistan Resolution" or "The Lahore Resolution". This was the first occasion when the
Two Nation Theory was openly proposed by
Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Modern History
Lahore is regarded as the heart of Pakistan. The people of Lahore always gave their lives for the freedom and protection of their country. Lahore was in fact, called as Paris of the East before the riots of 1947. Among all cities of India, Lahore suffered the greatest loss due to the
Partition of Punjab in 1947.
At independence, Lahore was given the status of being the capital of the
Punjab province in the new state of Pakistan. Since 1947, Lahore was heavily affected by large-scale riots between
Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs that lead to huge structural damages to many historical monuments such as the
Lahore Fort,
Badshahi mosque and other colonial buildings.
However, with UN protection groups, the
government was able to finance funds to make the monuments return to their formal glory. The first
Islamic Summit Conference was held in the city. In 1996 the
ICC Cricket World Cup final match was held at the
Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and now Lahore will host the
2011 Cricket World Cup, where the semi final match will be played.
Geography and climate
Lahore is bounded on the north and west by the
Sheikhupura District, on the east by
Wagah and on the south
Kasur District. The
Ravi River flows on the northern side of Lahore. Lahore city covers a total land area of 404 km², but the city is still growing at a considerable rate. The city lies between 31°15′and 31°45′North latitude and 74°01′and 74°39′ East longitude.
The weather of Lahore is extreme during the months of May, June, and July when the temperatures soar to 40 – 45 degrees Celsius which is the hottest time of the year. Following the end of July, the monsoon seasons starts, with heavy rainfall throughout the city as well as the province.
December, January and February are the coldest months when temperatures can drop to -1 degree Celsius.
However, the city’s highest ever maximum temperature is 48 degrees C that was recorded on June 6, 1921. But on June 9, 2007, merciless sun beat down in full force in the plains of Lahore, as elsewhere in Punjab, taking the Friday’s temperature to 48 degrees Celsius - a "feat" accomplished after 78 years. The meteorological office recorded the temperature under the shade and it said the heat index (directly under the sun) was 55 degrees C.
[3]
Government
The City-District of Lahore comprises nine administrative towns and one separate military cantonment but there are also some historic neighbourhoods of Lahore.
Demographics
According to the 1998 census, Lahore's population was nearly 6.8 million. Mid-2006 government estimates now put the population at somewhere around 10 million, which makes it the second largest city in Pakistan, after
Karachi. It is considered to be one of the thirty
largest cities of the world. Also according to the 1998 census, 86.2%, or 6,896,000 of the population are
Punjabis, 10.2% or 816,000 are
Muhajir. There are known to be more than a million
Pashtun in Lahore(the vast majority of whom are settling. Finally, the
Seraikis at 0.4% number about 32,000.. Figures are unavailable for the many
Afghan refugees and migrants from
Iran who have permanently settled in Lahore but where not included in the census.
Many languages are spoken in Lahore, including
Punjabi,
Urdu,
Pashto,
Persian/
Farsi and
English. According to the 1998 census, 96% of Lahore's population is Muslim. Other religions include
Christians, a small number of
Bahais,
Zorastrian,
Hindus and
Sikhs.
Cityscape
Architecture
Diwan-e-Aam: Hall of Public Audience (arched vault and ceiling not original)
Main Boulevard passes through the district of Gulberg
The
Architecture of Lahore reflects the history of Lahore and is remarkable for its variety and uniqueness. There are buildings left from the centuries ago rule of the
Mughal Dynasty as well as from the era of the
British Raj, whose style is a mixture of Victorian and
Islamic architecture often referred to as "Mughal Gothic." In addition, there are newer buildings which are very modern in their design. An interesting fact about Lahore's architecture is that, unlike the emphasis on functional architecture in the West, much of Lahore's architecture has always been about making a statement as much as anything else.
Public Space
Shopping
Lahore's most famous tech-bazaar is the Hafeez centre located on the Gulberg Main Boulevard and Electronics Market at Hall Road. Hafeez centre is one of Asia's largest centres specific for the electronic.Here one can find the latest computer systems, accessories, mobile phones and music CDs. ."Pace" is also located on the Main Boulevard beside the Hafeez centre. It is a shopping centre and once was considered to be owned by Imran Khan. Other well known and popular shopping areas are the Liberty Market in Gulberg and at the Fortress Stadium. There are also many smart shopping malls in Gulberg, Model Town, M.M. Alam Road and Cantonment. Apart from these are many new shopping areas being developed in many of Lahore's brand new suburban developments, such as Bahria, Lake City, and the cantonment.
For traditional shopping, the
Anarkali and
Ichhra bazaars are the most popular of the city’s many
bazaars. The alleys and lanes of this bazaar are full of traditional wares like leather articles, embroidered garments, glass bangles, beaten gold and silver jewellery, creations in silk-anything that your wish for a bargain.
Anarkali is named after the famous courtesan of
Akbar’s court called Anarkali (Pomegranate Blossom). The grave of Sultan
Qutbuddin Aibak, who died falling off his horse while playing polo is located in Anarkali.
Mahmud Ghaznavi's General
Malik Ayaz lies buried in the commercial area of Rang Mahal.
Restaurants and cafés
.jpg)
View of food street Lahore
Lahoris are known for their love of food and eating. While Lahore has a great many traditional and modern restaurants, in recent years there have been the appearance of Western
fast food chains, such as
McDonald's,
Pizza Hut,
Subway Sandwiches,
Dunkin Donuts,
Nando's and
Kentucky Fried Chicken all over the city. A recent tourist attraction in Lahore is the famous
Food Street in the historic locales of Lahore (
Gawalmandi,
Anarkali, and
Badshahi). Food Streets have undergone restorations and are cordoned off in the evenings for pedestrian traffic only, with numerous cafés serving local delicacies under the lights and balconies of restored havelis (traditional residential dwellings).
Some of the trendiest restaurants in Lahore are concentrated on the
M M Alam Road in Gulberg. Here, dozens of high-class culinary outlets, ranging from western franchises to very traditional, ethnic, or theme restaurants, attract all classes of Lahore's citizens. New restaurants are constantly opening, and the business is extremely competitive. It is said that eating well is a peculiarly Lahori attribute, and the innumerable crowded, boisterous restaurants of Lahore that are open late into the night are a visible testament to this passion.
One of Lahore's unique café restaurants is "Coocoo's Den", located in the old city just behind the
Badshahi Mosque and
Lahore Fort at the edge of Lahores Red light district. The restaurant is housed in a 300-year-old "Kothi" style house of a famous artist and once used to be a brothel. At different points in the life of this property,
Hindu,
Buddhist,
Christian and
Muslim families have owned it. Another famous Lahore landmark is the
Pak Tea House in
Anarkali, long a favoured haunt of intellectuals and artists.
Museums
A side view of the entrance to the museum.
was established in 1894 in Lahore,
Pakistan, and is one of the major museums of
South Asia.
Lahore Museum is also known as Central Museum, and is located on The Mall. Rudyard Kipling's father, John Lockwood Kipling, was one of the curators of the museum.
It is located opposite the old University Hall, a Mughal style building on the Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam. The Museum contains some fine specimens of
Mughal and
Sikh door-ways and wood-work and contains a large collection of paintings dating back to
Mughal,
Sikh and
British era.
Tollinton Market is one of the earliest Raj buildings on
the Mall. This building, according to the excellent guide by Thornton and Kipling "was hastily constructed for the
Punjab Exhibition of 1864, and was not intended to be permanent; but want of funds has prevented hitherto the erection of a more suitable structure." At its entrance stood the famous cannon Zamzamah, which was brought there from its previous location near the Delhi gate. The exhibition displayed both specimens of the antiquities, arts and manufactures of the Punjab, and specimens of its raw products, vegetable, mineral and animal. Later, it became the most important municipal market outside the Old City selling fresh fruit, vegetables and other consumable items.
The Faqirkhana Museum is a private museum located inside the
bhati gate. It houses artefacts from South Asia, original manuscripts and an art gallery.
The Mughal Museum established in 1950 is dedicated to the industries of Pakistan. It houses among other things classical musical instruments, camel skin lamps and embroidered textiles from all major cities of Pakistan
Gardens and Parks
Lahore is known as the ''City of Gardens''. There were many gardens in Lahore during the
Mughal era, and although some have since been destroyed, many still survive.
The
Shalimar Gardens were laid out during the reign of
Shah Jahan and were designed to mimic the
Islamic paradise of the afterlife described in the
Quran. The gardens follow the familiar char bagh model (four squares) with three descending terraces.
The
Lawrence Gardens were established in 1862 and were originally named after Sir John Lawrence, late nineteenth century
British Viceroy to
India. The gardens were organized in an area covering 112 acres. The vow of the East India Company was that it would bring 80,000 saplings of 600 different species from every corner of the world, where in those days, the sun never set. After collecting money from the sale of Badami Bagh, the Soldier's Bazaar at
Anarkali and from a grant by the "Company Bahadur”, the land was purchased in the year 1860. Today it is known as
Bagh-e-Jinnah.
There are also many other gardens and parks in the city, including:
Hazuri Bagh,
Iqbal Park,
Mochi Bagh,
Gulshan Iqbal Park,
Model Town Park,
Race Course Park,
Nasir Bagh Lahore,
Jallo Park,
Wild Life Park, and
Changa Manga (Artificial Forest Near Lahore in
Kasur district).
Education
Punjab University Old Campus
Lahore is known as the education capital of
Pakistan, with more colleges and universities than any other city in Pakistan.
[4] Lahore is actually world famous for being "education city" due to the large number of educational facilities. In Lahore, literally on every second street you'll find a school or a college. The city holds some of the finest institutes of higher education in the country, including a number of public and private universities. Most of the reputable universities are public, but in recent years there has also been an upsurge in the number of private universities. LUMS, the Lahore University of Management Sciences, is the most renowned business school in Pakistan. The University of Lahore is also a fine university in the private sector. It is located in the industrial area of the city where students have full opportunity to get jobs and internships.
The
University of the Punjab is the oldest institute of higher learning in the country and is nationally recognized as a prestigious university.
[5]
NCA, the National College of Arts, is the oldest and most renowned arts college of Pakistan. The oldest institution of Pakistan, Government College Lahore (now University) is also situated in Lahore. It was established in 1864.
UET, Lahore is the one of the most highly regarded engineering universities in Pakistan.
[6]
COMSATS is also a well-known institute recently awarded the university charter.
[7]
Transportation
The Allama Iqbal International Airport: one of the largest international airports in Pakistan
Lahore is one of the most accessible cities of
Pakistan. In addition to the historic
Grand Trunk Road (G.T. road), a motorway was completed in 1997, from Lahore to
Islamabad. Due to Lahore ever increasing traffic problems the government introduced many underpasses to ease congestion and prevent traffic jams. According to official figures, Lahore has the highest number of underpasses in Pakistan. Lahore still has very high levels of air pollution and smog, mostly due to the industry growing at an ever-increasing rate. Air pollution levels are reaching record peaks and smog is so thick that on some days it is only possible to see a few metres ahead before a huge haze is visible.
The Pakistan Railways Headquarters is located in Lahore.
Pakistan Railways provides an important mode of transportation for commuters in Lahore. The railway connects the farthest corners of the country and brings them closer to Lahore for business, sight seeing, pilgrimage and education. The
Lahore Central Railway Station is also located in the heart of the city, which was built during the British Colonial era.
Double Decker Buses are back in Lahore after almost twenty years.
As air travel has been on the rise, the government built a completely new airport for the city that was constructed in 2003. It was named
Allama Iqbal International Airport after the national poet of Pakistan
Mohammed Iqbal, and is served by many international airlines as well as the national flag carrier,
Pakistan International Airlines. With the opening of Allama Iqbal International Airport, the previous airport now operates as the
Hajj Terminal to facilitate the great influx of pilgrims travelling to
Saudi Arabia to perform the hajj every year.
Lahore Railway Station
However, despite all these swift improvements, Lahore still struggles to keep its inhabitants safe on the road. The roads in Lahore are seen by many to be the most dangerous in Pakistan after Karachi as the number of vehicles on the road outnumbers the amount of roads and/or the amount of space in the road. For this reason, there is a massive manic and street-rush everyday as millions of Lahoris travel to their respective destinations through unorganised yet fast-moving traffic. Traffic accidents are rife and crossing the road still seems to be an impossible challenge for many. Government is applying measures to improve traffic condition by construction is overhead bridges, under passes and also by spreading traffic and roads awareness between people through media, public workers, NGOs and police. There are also plans to create a mass transit system in the city as well as high speed railway between Lahore and
Rawalpindi.
Economy
The center to Lahore's economy is the LSE,
Lahore Stock Exchange, Pakistan's second largest stock exchange; it is closely linked to the
Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE). The Lahore has offices of all Pakistani government corporations including
WAPDA and
WASA. Lahore also hosts the country's largest IT companies, most of which are located in the IT park, which accounts for nearly 70 percent of the Pakistan's software exports.
Food and restaurant businesses remain open all night long. The shopping markets are usually open late into the night. Lahore is the second largest financial hub of Pakistan and has various industrial areas including
Kot Lakhpat and the new Sundar Industrial Estate (near Raiwand).
Water And Power Dvelopment Authority (WAPDA) House Building
As Lahore expands, previous residential areas are being turned into commercial centres and the suburban population is constantly moving outwards. This has resulted in the development of the Liberty Market, the ''MM Alam Road'', the new ''Jail Road'' which has some of the largest office buildings in Lahore, and the new eight-lane ''Main Boulevard'' which has some of Lahore's largest and finest shopping centres.
The suburban population from these areas are moving into less busy areas which results in a thriving construction industry and several large housing projects in Lahore. These include
Bahria Town,
Lake City project,
Eden Villas and a project by the
Dhabi Group (a joint Pakistan-UAE partnership) to construct a new city on the outskirts of Lahore.
Lahore is famous as the hub of handmade
carpet manufacturing in Pakistan.
[8] At present, hand-knitted carpets produced in and around Lahore are among Pakistan's leading export products and their manufacturing is the second largest cottage and small industry. Lahore based carpet exports make up nearly 85% of all carpet exports of Pakistan.
Craftsmen in Lahore have the ability to produce any type of carpet using all the popular motifs: medallions, paisleys, traceries and geometric designs in various combinations. The Lahore Design Centre at the Punjab Small Industries Corporation maintains a separate section of carpet designing to experiment with new designs. Lahore is famous for single-wefted designs in Turkoman and Caucasian style, and double-wefted Mughal types.
Lahore's economic importance lies also on many government institutes and international companies headquartered in the city, including:
WorldCALL Telecom Group,
Pakistan Railways,
Pakistan Cricket Board,
Punjab University,
NCA,
Bata shoes,
Haier,
Wateen telecom,
Warid Telecom,
Honda,
Reebok,
Daewoo,
Nestle,
Coca Cola,
Tetra Pak,
Monsanto,
Delaval,
Metro Cash & Carry,
Mr Cod,
Porsche,
Rolls Royce.
The city's economic importance also lies due to its historic and cultural importance, even though, unlike other smaller cities, industrial estates are far fewer and smaller. Being the capital of the largest province in Pakistan fetches the city the highest amount of development budget in the country.
As of 2005 the city's GDP by PPP is estimated at $28 billion with an average growth rate of 5.9%
[1], making it the 122nd largest city in the world in GDP terms and above the cities of
Macau,
Cardiff,
Sharjah,
Casabalanca,
Chengdu,
Xian,
Chittagong,
Baghdad,
PyongYang,
Abidjan,
Nairobi and more than the GDP of Whole Countries such as
Qatar,
Yemen,
Monaco,
Bahrain,
Cyprus,
Lebanon,
Iceland,
Jamaica,
Afghanistan,
Zimbabwe and
Albania.
[2]
Note: These are just the comparisons of GDP of the cities and countries and does not take into account the annual growth rate, education, health facilities, crime rate, human development index and relative population, e.g. Macau's population is just a fraction of Lahore's, etc. This just shows the relative sizes of the market in terms of the Gross Domestic Product by purchasing power parity.
Culture
One of the horses on display at the annual horse & cattle show
Lahore's culture is unique due to its history. Known as the cultural capital or the Heart of Pakistan for the same reason, the city has been the seat to The Mughal Empire, the Sikh Empire and the capital of Punjab in the Mahmud Ghaznavi's Empire (11th century) and the British Empire.
Lahore played an important role in Pakistani history, as it was in this city where the declaration for Pakistan was made. The city was the only known major city of the British Empire which would come into the new Muslims state. It was the largest city in the newly formed Pakistan at the time of independence and provided the easiest access to India, with its porous border near the Indian city of
Amritsar, only thirty miles to the east. There was a high proportion of Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims living closely in Lahore in the pre-Partition era, and thus it suffered many revolts and demonstrations, as well as bloodshed and mobs, at the time of independence. Lahore was also wanted by the Sikhs as it used to be their capital before the British. Initially, Lahore was planned to be made the capital of the newly-formed Pakistan, but the idea was dropped due to the city's close proximity to India; Karachi was chosen instead. Lahore's unique history amounts up to a culture which is among the most rich in the world. The history, institutions, food, clothing, films, music, fashion, and liberal community lifestyle attract many from all over the country.
Kites for sale on the streets of Lahore on the eve of the Basant festival
Lahore is an extremely festive city. The people of Lahore celebrate many festivals and events throughout the year, blending Mughal, Western and current trends.
Eid ul-Fitr and
Eid ul-Adha are celebrated with enthusiasm. Many people decorate their houses and light candles to illuminate the streets and houses; roads and businesses are lit up for days during these public holidays.
Basant is a
Punjabi festival that marks the coming of spring. Basant celebrations in
Pakistan are centered in Lahore, and people from all over the country as well as abroad come to the city for the annual festivities. Kite flying competitions take place all over the city's rooftops during Basant. During the last years, the event has been banned by the court because of the casualties and power installation losses it causes every year. The ban was lifted for two days in 2007, then immediately reimposed when 11 people were killed by
celebratory gunfire, sharpened kite-strings, electrocution and people falling off rooftops in conjunction with the event.
[9]
The Festival of Lamps, or
Mela Chiraghan, is an important and popular event in Lahore. This is celebrated at the same time as Basant, every spring on the last Friday of March, outside the Shalimar Gardens. People from all walks of life gather to participate.
The National Horse and Cattle Show is one of the most famous annual festivals, it is held in Spring in the Fortress Stadium. During the week long activities, there is a display of livestock, horse and camel dances,
tent pegging, colourful folk dances from all regions of Pakistan, mass-band displays and tattoo shows in the evenings.
On August 14, the people of Pakistan celebrate the day Pakistan gained its independence from the
British Raj. There are lots of celebrations in Lahore, the streets are full of people singing and dancing. Parades of the Pakistan Army and Pakistan Airforce are held early in the morning. Concerts are held with many pop and classical singers.
The World Performing Arts Festival is held every autumn (usually in November) at the Alhambra cultural complex, a large venue consisting of several theatres and amphitheatres. This ten day festival consists of musicals, theatre, concerts, dance, solo, mime and puppetry shows. This has a rich international character with nearly 80% of the shows performed by international performers. On average 15-20 different shows are performed every day of the festival
[10].
Sports
Gaddafi Stadium is a Test cricket ground in Lahore,
Pakistan. It was designed by Pakistani architect
Nayyar Ali Dada and completed in 1959. It remains one of the biggest cricket stadiums in Asia. After its renovation for the
1996 Cricket World Cup, the stadium has a capacity of over 60,000 spectators for high profile matches or events.
Nearby is an athletics stadium, a basketball pitch, an Al Hamra open air hall similar in design to the coliseum and the world's largest
field hockey stadium, all of these in a single huge complex.
The
Lahore Marathon, is part of an annual package of six international marathons being sponsored by
Standard Chartered Bank across Asia, Africa and Middle East. The Lahore marathon race carries prize money of approximately US$ 100,000. More than 20,000 athletes both from
Pakistan and all over the world participate in this event. It was first held on January 30, 2005, then on January 29, 2006. More than 22,000 people participated in the race during 2006. The third marathon was held on January 14, 2007
[11].
★ 'sports city'
★
★ First sports city in pakistan will build on the bank of river ravi
Eddy Gonsalvez of Gulberg, Lahore is a famous amateur boxer who won many titles. He is famous for introducing boxing to the youth of Lahore.
Sites of interest
Roshnai Gate from Hazuri Bagh
Newly restored Tollinton Market on
The Mall - one of Lahore's busiest thoroughfares
Jahangir's mausoleum at Shahdara, near Lahore
★ 'General'
★
★
Lahore Fort
★
★
Badshahi Masjid
★
★
Minar-e-Pakistan
★
★
Hazuri Bagh
★
★
Data Durbar Complex
★
★
Lahore Zoo
★
★
Gawal Mandi
★
★
Shalamar Garden
★ '
Gates of Lahore'
★
★ Akbari Gate
★
★
Bhati Gate
★
★
Delhi Gate
★
★
Kashmiri Gate
★
★
Lohari Gate
★
★
Masti Gate
★
★
Mochi Gate
★
★
Mori Gate
★
★
Roshnai Gate
★
★ Shahalmi Gate
★
★
Shairanwala Gate
★
★ Taxali Gate
★
★ Yakki Gate
★ 'Mausoleums'
★
★
Tomb of Muhammad Iqbal
★
★
Bibi Pak Daman
★
★
Samadhi of Ranjit Singh
★
★
Tomb of Shah Jamal
★
★
Wazir Khan Mosque
★
★ Tomb of Lal Hussain
★
★
Tomb of Anārkalī
★
★
Tomb of Jahangir
★
★ Tomb of
Empress Nur Jehan
★
★ Tomb of
Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan
★ 'Amusement Parks'
★
★ Joy Land
★
★ Sindbad
★
★ Sozo Water Park
★
★ Sky land
★
★ Mini golf
★
★ Gulshan iqbal park
★
★ wild life park
★
★ Jalo park
★
★ Race course park
★
★ Model town park
★
★ Bagh e jinnah
★ 'Famous Roads'
★
★
The Mall (shopping and business)
★
★ Jail Road (business)
★
★ M M Alam Road (restaurants and shopping)
★
★ Main Boulevard (commercial and shopping)
★
★ Canal Bank (residential and educational)
★
★ Ferozepur Road (commercial and sports)
★
★ Allama iqbal town main boulevard ( resturants shopping and commercial)
★
★
Food Street (outdoor cafés)
★
★ Multan road (commercial and bussiness)
★
★ Hall road ( Asia's biggest electronic mall)
★
★ Mechlou Road (automobiles market)
★ 'Red Light District'
★
★
Shahi Mohalla (heera mandi)
★
★ Tourist Street
★ 'Hotels'
★
★ Avari Hotel
★
★ Pearl Continental Hotel
★
★ Holiday Inn
★
★ Best Western
★
★ Grand Hyatt (2010)
★
★ Hyatt Regency (2009)
★
★ Royal Palm Golf and Country Club & Intercontinental Hotel
★
★ Casino Hotel
★ 'Resorts'
★
★ Lahore country club
★
★ Lahore lake city resorts
★ ' Shrines'
★
★ Shrine of
Hazrat Miran Hussain Zanjani
★
★ Shrine of
Hazrat Data Gang Buksh
★
★ Shrine of
Hazrat Baba Shah Jamal
★
★ Shrine of
Hazrat Baba Shak Kamal
★
★ Shrine of
Hazrat Madho Lal Hussain
★
★ Shrine of
Hazrat Mian Mir
★
★ Shrine of
Pir Makki
★
★
Temples in Lahore
★ 'Graveyards'
★
★
Mominpura Graveyard Lahore
★
★ Miani Sahab
★
★ Bhuddoo da aawa -1
★
★ Bhuddoo da aawa -2
★
★ Firdosia graveyard
Gallery
Sister Cities
Lahore has several
sister cities including:
★ Chicago, USA
★ Dushanbe, Tajikistan
★ Kortrijk, Belgium
★ Belgrade, Serbia (2007)
★ Krakow, Poland
★ Coimbra, Portugal
★ Glasgow, Scotland[12]
★ Córdoba, Spain[13]
★ Istanbul, Turkey
|
★ Xian, China
★ Samarkand, Uzbekistan
★ Buchara, Uzbekistan
★ Fes, Morocco
★ Hounslow, England twinned with Cantt [14]
★ Sariwon, North Korea
★ Isfahan, Iran
★ Mashad, Iran
|
★ Contrary to popular belief, Lahore has no twinning connections with India, Iraq, Canada or Saudi Arabia.
★ In the 1970s, Istanbul was the first city to be twinned with Lahore, followed by Sariwon.
★ The latest cities were twinned in early 2007: Belgrade, Chicago, Córdoba, Krakow, Kortrijk, Mashad and Isfahan.
★ The locality of Hounslow in West London is twinned with Cantt, a suburb of Lahore.
Lahore in literature
★
Muhammad Iqbal, Scholor, Thinker, and Poet in Urdu and Persian.
★
Ghulam Ahmad Pervaiz, authority on Qur'an.
★
Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri, Islamic hadith compiler, poet and author.
★
Faiz Ahmed Faiz, poet in Urdu
★
Saadat Hasan Manto, short story writer in Urdu
★
Rudyard Kipling, novelist in English, author of
Kim
★
Bapsi Sidhwa, novelist in English, author of
Cracking India and The Crow Eaters
★
Mohsin Hamid, novelist in English, author of
Moth Smoke and
The Reluctant Fundamentalist
★
Shauna Singh Baldwin, novelist, author of
What the Body Remembers
★
Pran Nevile, author of
Lahore - A sentimental Journey
See also
References
1. Official Profile: Lahore's geography
2. ''Lahore'', , Mohamed, Amin, Ferozsons, Ltd., ,
3. The Daily Dawn dated June 10, 2007
4.
| last = Raza
| first = M. Hanif
| title = ''Portrait of Pakistan''
| publisher = Ferozsons, Ltd.
| date = 1999
| location = Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
| pages = 155
| isbn = 969 0 01545 1
5. "University of the Punjab - Introduction"
6.
"University of Engineering and Technology"
7.
"COMSATS university"
8. "A Brief Introduction to Carpet Weaving History of Pakistan"
9. 11 Dead At Pakistani Kite Festival, Metal Kite Strings, Stray Celebratory Gunfire Claim Lives At Annual Event, More Than 100 Injured
10. World Performing Arts Festival
11. Lahore Marathon Website
12. - Glasgow 'twinned' with Lahore
13. [3]
14. [4]
External links
;Official
★
Lahore City Government
★
Lahore Stock Exchange
★
Pakistan Railways
;Unofficial
★
Danka - Lahore's First Cultural Events Guide
★
French Cultural Centre
★
LAHORE LAHORE AYE: Where Hindus and Sikhs once lived By A Hamid
★
Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh
★
Take a tour to Lahore
★
Forced Migration and Ethnic Clensing in Lahore Ishtiaq Ahmed
★
Notes on literature by Lahori and Pakistani writers
★
Lahore - A Sentimental Journey - Author's recollection of pre 1947 Lahore
;Travel Related
★
Photographs of the Lahore Fort and Shalimar Gardens at UN's World Heritage Site
★
Photographs of the walled city of Lahore
★
Weather of Lahore on BBC Weather
★
Photographs of Lahore
★
Photographs Of Lahore
★
Photos from Lahore by Waqas Usman
★
A tour with Pictures and Detailed Text
★
Lahore's famous Food Street
.jpg)
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