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Lahore
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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.
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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.
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