LAHORE AT THE GLACE
History Legend has it that Lahore was founded by two sons of Rama about 4,000 years ago. Historically, it has been proved that Lahore is about 2,000 years old. Hieun-tsang, the famous Chinese pilgrim, has given a vivid description of Lahore which he visited during the early years of the seventh century A.D. For 200 years, beginning with about 1525 A.D., Lahore was a thriving cultural centre of the great Mughal Empire. Mughal Emperors beautified Lahore with palaces, gardens and mosques. During the British regime, many monuments sprang up in Lahore which blended beautifully Mughal, Gothic and Victorian styles of architecture. Lahore is the second largest city of Pakistan and the provincial capital of Punjab. Apart from being the cultural and academic centre of the country, Lahore is the Mughal "Show-Window" of Pakistan. Reminiscent of its hoary past are the remains of a subterranean temple in the northern part of the Royal Fort, which one attributed to Rama, the legendary hero of Ramayana. Lying on the main trade and invasion routes to South Asia, Lahore has been ruled and plundered by a number of dynasties and hordes. However, it touched the zenith of its glory during the rule of the Mughals. The Mughals gave Lahore some of its finest architectural monuments that are extinct today.
PLACES OF INTEREST
The Royal Fort (Shahi Qala Although most parts of the Royal Fort were constructed around 1566 A.D. by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in early 10th Century. The main gates are located alongside the centre of the western and eastern walls. Every succeeding Mughal Emperor as well as the Sikhs, and the British in their turn, adcded a pavilion, palace or wall to the fort. Emperor Jehagir extended the gardens and constructed the palaces that we see today in the Jehangir's Quadrangle, while Shah-Jehan added Diwan-e-Khas, Moti Masjid (Peral Mosque) and his Sleeping Chambers. Aurangzeb built the impressive main gate (Alamgiri Gate) which faces the Hazoori Bagh lying in between the Badshahi Mosque and the Fort. The famous Sheesh Mahal or Place of Mirrors, is in the north-east corner of the Fort. This is the most beautiful palace in the Fort, decorated with small mirrors of different colour sets.
Shalimar Gardens Five kilometers east of the old city, are the famous Shalimar Gardens laid out by Mughal Emperor Shah-Jehan in 1642 A.D. The Gardens are spread out in typical Mughal style and are surrounded by high walls with watchtowers at the four corners.
Minar-e-Pakistan Minar-e-Pakistan is the landmark of Lahore. It stands in Iqbal Park to commemorate 23 March 1940. The Minar is a blend of Mughal and modern architecture and has been very boldly designed.
Kim's Gun Zamzama Immortalized by Rudyard Kipling in his accounts is this famous gun now popularly known as the Kim's Gun. It is placed just outside the Lahore Museum on Shahra-e-Quaid-e-Azam in front of the old campus of the Punjab University.
Wazir Khan's Mosque In the old part of the city and off the Kashmiri Bazaar, is located this beautiful Mosque. It was built in 1683 A.D. by Hakim Ilmuddin.
Badshahi Mosque The Imperial or the Badshahi Mosque is across the courtyard of Alalmgiri Gate of the Lahore Fort. The Mosque, made up entirely of red sandstone, was built by Emperor Aurangzeb, the last of the great Mughals, in a record time of two and-a-half years. It is completed by 1674 A.D.
The Golden Mosque Golden Mosque is also situated in the Kashmiri Bazaar. It was built in 1753 A.D. by Nawab Syed Bhikari Khan.
The Lahore Museum Opposite the old University Campus, a Mughal style building on Shahrah-e-Quaid-Azam, houses the Lahore Museum. The Museum contains some fine specimens of Mughal and Sikh doorways and woodwork and has a big collection of paintings dating back to Indo-Pakistan, Mughal, Sikh and British times.
Faqirkhana Museum A very large and interesting private Museum, known as Faqirkhana, lies inside the Bhati Gate and is worth visiting.
The Old City In the Mughal days, the old city was surrounded by a 9 metre high brick wall and had a rampart running around it with a moat connected with River Ravi which served as a protection for the city. In the bazaars of the old city, one still comes across tiny shops where craftsmen can be seen busy turning out master-pieces in copper, brass, silver as well as textiles in the traditional fashion.
Anarkali Anarkali bazaar is the most fascinating of the city's many bazaars. The alleys and lanes of this bazaar are full of exciting wares, especially traditional crafts like leather ware, embroidered garments, glass bangles, gold and silver jewellery. Anarkali has its share of historical monuments. There is the grave of Emperor Qutabuddin Aibak. Muhmud Ghaznavi's General Malik Ayaz lies buried in the nearby commercial area of Rang Mahal.
Jallo Park The Park is 28 Kms from Lahore. It can be visited by road and by rail. A rail-car leaves for Jallo Railway Station ofter every half an hour. Spread over area of 450 acres, it has expanses of lawns, a forest research centre, a children's zoo, a small museum and a gift shop. There are five famous parks in Lahore namely;
Bagh-e-Jinnah
Race Course Park, Gulberg Road
Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, Allama Iqbal Town
Model Town Park
Ferozepur Road Park
