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Lahore
Introduction
The city of Lahore is
the capital of the Punjab. It occupies a central position,
and is generally called 'The Heart of Pakistan'.
Lahore is situated on the banks of the Ravi . Lahore
is a city of gardens, and has the reputation of being
the 'Green City'. It occupies
a choice site in the midst of fertile alluvial plains.
Lahore is the city of poets, artists and the center of film industry.
Brief History
Ptolemy's "Geographia", written about 150
AD, refers to it as "Labokla" and locates it with reference
to the Indus, the Ravi, the Jhelum and the Chenab rivers.
Another place revealed that it was founded by Loh the
son of Rama Chandra.
However the accorded history of Lahore dates
back to 850 AD., conquered by Mahmood Gaznavi in 1021
AD, it was made the capital of the Ghaznavid east of Indus
and later captital of entire Ghaznavid Empire by Masud,
son of Mahmood.
It was then that Lahore became the centre
of social, cultural and educational activities reaching
the pinnacle of its glory under the Mughals who gave it
its famous architecture including the magnificent fort,
gardens, tombs, mosques and pavilions. Some of the old names
of Lahore can be observed as:
- Laha-noor
- Loh-pur
- Mahmood-pur
- Samandpal Nagiri
- Lohar-pur
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Tower of Lahore
(Minar-e-Pakistan)
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Population
About 6.5 Million
Area
390 sq. miles
Lahore
Centre of Cultural life
Largest educational centre
'Heart of Pakistan'
Magnificant Architectures
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Area and Population
With a population of more than 6,563,000 people,
Lahore is Pakistan's second largest city. The
city is built in the form of a parallelogram, the area within
the walls (central Lahore or Old Lahore), being about 461
acres. The district lies at 31-34' North latitude
and 74-20' East longitude.
Climate There are two main seasons, namely the winter and the
summer. The monsoons are at their peak during July and August,
and during these two months there is more than half of the
annual rainfall. October and November are the drieat months
and average rain fall during these months is about one third
of an inch only. There are Winter rains during December
- February, the average rainfall during these months being
3 inches.
Historical Architectures
The city as we know it today, reached its peak of glory
during the Moghul rulers, especially in the reign of Akbar
the Great. His son, Jehangir, is buried in its outskirts
and his mausoleum is one of the places frequented by tourists
and Lahorites alike. Close by is the mausoleum of the famous
Moghul Empress, Noor Jehan, who is known for introducing
the rose plant and for initiating several cultural movements
in the Sub-Continent.
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Lahore Badshahi Mosque
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Lahore Fort
Shalamar Gardens
Badshahi Mosque
Shish Mahal
Mausoleum of Jahangir
12 Gates of Old Lahore
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Akbar the Great built the Lahore Fort, as well as the city walls
which had 12 gates. Some of these still survive. Jehangir and Shah Jehan, the
builders of the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Shalamar Gardens in
Srinagar and Lahore, built palaces and tombs. The last great Moghul Emperor,
Aurangzeb built Lahore's most famous monument, the great Badshahi Mosque.
At that time the river Ravi, which now lies a few miles away from Lahore , touched
the ramparts of the Fort and the Mosque. The British during
their reign compensated Lahore, by harmoniously
combining Mughal, Gothic and Victorian styles of architecture.
Victorian heritage is only next to Mughal monuments.
They built some important buildings, like the GPO, High
Court, Government College, Museums, National College of
Arts, Montgomery Hall, Tollinton Market, Punjab University
(Old Campus) and the Provincial Assembly. |
Education
It has the largest number of educational
institutions in the country. Many colleges and schools
which found Lahore's reputation as education center of
Pakistan par excellence. Most notable are Government College-
first in prestige in the country, and of which Allama
Iqbal, founding father of Pakistan's Independence, was
distinguished alumnus; added in 1950;
the Kinnaired College for
Woman and Aitcheson College, still
the most expensive educational establishment in the
country.
Punjab University is the largest center
of education in Asia. It has a splendid old campus in
the Old Lahore and built a new Campus in the quieter environments
on the Canal Bank, but the old University buildings are
still functioning. King Edward Medical College is the
country's largest medical institution, founded in 1870.
The National College of Arts, has separate departments
in Architecture, Fine Arts & design,
on the competition entry basis 450 students receives
from all over the country.
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Culture
Lahore is cultural, intellectual and artistic center of
the nation. Its faded elegance, busy streets and bazaars,
and wide variety of Islamic and British architecture make
it a city full of atmosphere, contrast and surprise.
The warm and receptive people of Lahore are known for their traditional hospitality.
This is a city of vivid differences, of haunting nuances;
where bustling bazaars, frenetic streets, glorious fading
elegance, architecture and echoing atmosphere of city's
many mosques merge together into a history that is both
dramatic and fascinating.
Bazaars and market places in the Lahore is of course legendary
- the Kashmiri, Suha, Chatta, Dabbi, Anarkali of the old
city, and Liberty and Gulberg main market in modern Lahore. These markets supply everything that could possibly or impossibly
want; from cloth to copper, brass and silver-ware; watches
and bangles to carpets, chapatis and chai.
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Lahore Fort (Shahi Qila)
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Largest Number of Insititutes in Pakistan
Largest University of Asia
Punjab University
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All is color, all variety, all abundance, and all displayed to entice. Lahore is country's undisputed centre of cultural life.
Communication
There is a network of metalled roads in the district. It
is connected other major cities and towns with a very sophisticated
network of roads. It is also connected with the capital
of Pakistan and other major cities through the M2 Motroway
link.
The Lahore Railway station is one of the oldest station
in the country, and serves as the main connecting point
for rail services to many cities and routes. The station
building is another example of the magnificant architectural
beauty of the city.
There is an International Airport in the cantonment area,
P.I.A. and other international airlines have routes to all
major destinations of the world. Lahore airport is one of
the busiest airport of the country after Karachi international
terminal. A newly built international terminal, Allama Iqbal
International Terminal, helps in the locomotion of passengers
to other countries. It greatly facilitate and improves the
air transits to and from the Lahore city.
* All figures and stats are approximate
** Images may be under copyright of their respective
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