Everything about Lahore totally explained
(
Urdu:
لاہور,
Punjabi:
لہور, ) is the capital of the
Pakistani province of
Punjab and is the
second largest city in Pakistan after
Karachi. It is popularly known as the
Heart of Pakistan, due to its historical importance in the creation of Pakistan, and also being a cultural, political and educational centre of the country. It is also often called the
Garden of the Mughals or the
City of Gardens because of the heritage of the
Mughal Empire. It is located near the
Ravi River and
Wagah, close to the Pakistan-
India border.
Much of Lahore's architecture from the Mughal and colonial eras has been preserved. Mughal structures such as the
Badshahi Mosque,
Ali Hujwiri,
Lahore Fort,
Shalimar Gardens and the mausoleums of
Jehangir, and
Nur Jehan are popular tourist spots in the city. Colonial
British structures 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're 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. This makes Lahore the fifth largest city in South Asia and the 23rd
largest city in the world.
History
Ptolemy, the celebrated astronomer and geographer, mentions in his
Geographia a city called
Labokla 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 or
Vitasta (
Jhelum), Sandabal or
Chandra Bhaga (
Chenab), and Adris or
Iravati (
Ravi). This city may be ancient Lahore.
A legend, based on Hindu oral traditions, 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.
The oldest authentic document about Lahore was written anonymously in 982 and is called
Hudud-i-Alam. It was translated into
English by
Vladimir Fedorovich 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.. Lahore was called by different names in history, and to date there's no evidence to suggest the actual time, when the city was made, some historians trace the history of the city as far as 4000 years ago..
Few references to Lahore exist for times before its capture 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 took Lahore after a long siege and 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 wasn't until 1524 that Lahore became part of the
Mughal Empire.
From 1524 to 1752, Lahore was part of the
Mughal Empire, and from 1584 to 1598, during the rules of the emperors
Akbar and
Jahangir, the city served as its capital. Lahore reached a peak of architectural glory during the rule of the Mughals, whose buildings and gardens survived the hazards of time. Lahore's reputation for beauty fascinated the
English poet
John Milton, who wrote "Agra and Lahore, the Seat of Great Mughal" in 1670. 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 for public speeches and social events.
During the 18th century, as
Mughal power dwindled, Lahore was often invaded. The city was a suba, a
province of the
Afghan Empire, governed by provincial rulers with their own court.
The 1740s were years of chaos, and the city had nine different governors between 1745 and 1756. Invasions and chaos in local government allowed bands of warring Sikhs to gain control in some areas. In 1799, all Sikh
Misls joined into one to form a sovereign Sikh state ruled by
Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
After the death of Ranjit Singh, the empire of Lahore fell into disorder. The second and final
Anglo-Sikh war brought Lahore under the rule of the
British. During their reign (1849-1947),
British construction in Lahore combined
Mughal,
Gothic and
Victorian styles. The GPO and YMCA buildings in Lahore commemorated the golden jubilee of
Queen Victoria, an event marked by the construction of clock towers and monuments all over
India. Other important British buildings included the High Court, the
Government College University,
the museums, the
National College of Arts, Montgomery Hall,
Tollinton Market, the
University of the Punjab (Old Campus) and the Provincial Assembly. Even today, Mall Road retains a variety of Gothic and Victorian style buildings built during the British Raj. At one end of
The Mall stands the university, one of the most prestiguous universities of Pakistan. The British also launched the city's first horse-racing club in 1924, and today function's under the
Lahore Race Club.
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
Declaration of the Independence of India was moved by
Pandit Nehru and passed unanimously at midnight on
31 December 1929. On this occasion, the contemporary
tricolour of India (with a
chakra at its centre) was hoisted as a national flag, and thousands of people saluted it.
Lahore prison was a place to detain revolutionary freedom fighters. Noted freedom fighter
Jatin Das died in Lahore prison after fasting for 63 days in protest of British treatment of 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 the
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 in a document known as the
Pakistan Resolution or the
Lahore Resolution. During this session,
Muhammad Ali Jinnah, leader of the league, publicly proposed the
Two Nation Theory for the first time.
At independence, Lahore was made capital of
Punjab province in the new state of Pakistan. After 1947, Lahore was affected by large-scale riots among
Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs that led to huge structural damage to historic monuments such as the
Lahore Fort,
Badshahi mosque and other colonial buildings. Among all cities of India, Lahore suffered the greatest loss due to the
Partition of Punjab in 1947. However, with United Nations assistance, the
government was able to re-build Lahore. The second
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 Lahore along with
Colombo is to host the semi finals of the
2011 Cricket World Cup..
Geography and climate
Lying between 31°15′ and 31°45′ North latitude and 74°01′ and 74°39′ East longitude, Lahore is bounded on the north and west by the
Sheikhupura District, on the east by
Wagah, and on the south by
Kasur District. The
Ravi River flows on the northern side of Lahore. Lahore city covers a total land area of 404 km² and is still growing.
The weather of Lahore is extreme during the months of May, June, and July, when the temperatures soar to 40–45 °C. In August, the monsoon seasons starts, with heavy rainfall throughout the province. December, January, and February are the coldest months, when temperatures can drop to -1 °C. The city’s highest maximum temperature was 48.3°C, recorded on
June 6,
1921, and again on
June 9,
2007. At the time the meteorological office recorded this official temperature in the shade, it reported a heat index in direct sunlight of 55 °C, lowest temperature recorded is -2.2°C.
Civic administration
The City-District of Lahore comprises nine administrative towns and one separate military cantonment, but Lahore also has some historic neighbourhoods.
Economy
As of 2005, the city's
gross domestic product (GDP) by
purchasing power parity (PPP) is estimated at $28 billion with an average growth rate of 5.9 percent,ranked 122nd in the world.. This makes Lahore's GDP to equal 51% of Karachi's, in line with it having 51% of the population of Karachi. Thus the contribution of Lahore to the national economy comes up to 13%. Which is 51% of the figure of Karachi contributing 25% of Pakistan's total GDP. Central to Lahore's economy is the
Lahore Stock Exchange (LSE), Pakistan's second largest stock exchange. Lahore has offices of all Pakistani government corporations including the
Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and the
Water and Sewage Authority (WASA). It also hosts the country's largest
information technology (IT) companies, most of which are located in the IT park, which accounts for nearly 70 percent of Pakistan's software exports. Food and restaurant businesses remain open all night. The shopping markets are usually open late into the night. Lahore is the second largest financial hub of Pakistan and has industrial areas including
Kot Lakhpat and the new Sundar Industrial Estate (near Raiwand).
As Lahore expands, former 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's move from commercial areas to less busy areas supports a thriving construction industry and several large housing projects including
Bahria Town,
Lake City,
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 hand-made
carpet manufacturing in Pakistan. 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 percent of all carpet exports from Pakistan.
Craftsmen in Lahore can produce any type of carpet using popular motifs such as medallions, paisleys, traceries, and geometric designs. 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 depends also on many government institutes and international companies headquartered in the city, including
WorldCALL Telecom Group,
Pakistan Railways,
Pakistan Cricket Board,
Punjab University,
NCA,
Deluxe Shoes Idustry Timber Market,
Bata shoes,
Haier,
Wateen Telecom,
Warid Telecom,
Honda,
Reebok,
Daewoo,
Nestle,
Coca Cola,
Tetra Pak,
Monsanto,
Delaval,
Metro Cash & Carry,
Mr Cod,
Porsche, and
Rolls Royce.
The economy is also enhanced by Lahore's historic and cultural importance, even though, unlike other smaller cities, its
industrial estates are far fewer and smaller. Being the capital of the largest province in Pakistan brings the city the biggest development budget in the country.
Transportation
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. The government has built underpasses to ease congestion and prevent traffic jams, and according to official figures, Lahore has the highest number of underpasses in Pakistan.
The
Pakistan Railways headquarters is located in Lahore. Pakistan Railways provides an important mode of transportation for commuters and connects distant parts of the country with Lahore for business, sight-seeing, pilgrimage, and education. The
Lahore Central Railway Station, built during the British colonial era, is located in the heart of the city.
To accommodate increased air travel, the government built a new city airport in 2003.It was named
Allama Iqbal International Airport after the national poet of Pakistan, Allama
Muhammad Iqbal, and is served by international airlines as well as the national flag carrier,
Pakistan International Airlines. The previous airport now operates as the
Hajj Terminal to facilitate the great influx of pilgrims traveling to
Saudi Arabia to perform the hajj every year. Lahore also has a
general aviation airport known as
Walton Airport.
Despite these improvements, Lahore struggles for safety on its roads, which are dangerous because the number of vehicles overwhelms the road space. Massive congestion occurs every day as millions of Lahoris travel through disorganised, fast-moving traffic, and accidents are rife. The government is trying to improve traffic conditions by constructing overhead bridges, underpasses, and conducting public safety campaigns. Plans exist for a mass-transit system in the city and a high-speed railway between Lahore and
Rawalpindi.
Demography
According to the 1998 census, Lahore's population was nearly 6.8 million. Mid-2006 government estimates 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 30
largest cities of the world. Also according to the 1998 census, 86.2%, or 6,896,000 of the population are
Punjabis and 10.2% or 816,000 are
Muhajir. 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 were not included in the census.
Many languages are spoken in Lahore, including
Punjabi,
Urdu,
Pashto,
Persian, and
English. According to the 1998 census, 96% of Lahore's population is Muslim, up from 50.1% in 1941. Other religions include
Christians and a small number of
Bahá'ís,
Hindus,
Parsis, and
Sikhs. In 1941, Lahore had 36.3% Hindus and 18.4% Sikhs. Due to Lahore diverse culture, there are many mosques, shrines,
Hindu and Jain temples, gurdwars, and
churches across the city. Some of the most famous mosques include, Badshahi Masjid, Dai Anga Mosque, Data Durbar Complex, Shia Masjid, Suneri Mosque, Wazir Khan Mosque, Moti Masjid, Masjid-e-Shuhda (Martyr's Mosque) and Mosque of Mariyam Zamani Begum. Some of the famous shrines include, Tomb of Muhammad Iqbal, Bibi Pak Daman, Samadhi of Ranjit Singh, Tomb of Shah Jamal, Tomb of Lal Hussain, Tomb of Anārkalī, Tomb of Jahangir, Tomb of Empress Nur Jehan and Tomb of Abdul Hasan Asaf Khan. Someo of the well-known churches include, Regal Church, Hall Road Church, Convent of Jesus & Mary and Saint Anthony's Church.
Culture
Lahore's culture is unique. Known as the cultural capital or Heart of Pakistan, the city has been the seat of the Mughal Empire and the Sikh Empire as well as the capital of Punjab in Mahmud Ghaznavi's 11th century empire and in the British Empire.
Lahore played an important role in Pakistani history, as it was in this city where the independence declaration for Pakistan was made. The city was the only known major city of the British Empire that 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 to the east. Large numbers of Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims lived closely in Lahore in the
pre-Partition era,
and the city suffered many revolts and demonstrations, as well as bloodshed and mobs, at the time of independence. Lahore was also wanted by the Sikhs since 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 culture -- its history, institutions, food, clothing, films, music, fashion, and liberal community lifestyle -- attract people from all over the country.
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. Many people decorate their houses and light candles to illuminate the streets and houses; roads and businesses are lit for days during these public holidays. In Lahore is located the mausoleum of
Ali Hujwiri also known as also known as Data Ganj Bakhsh (Persian/Urdu: داتا گنج بخش ) or Data Sahib and an annual Urs is held every year as a big festival.
Basant is a
Punjabi festival marking 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 traditionally take place on city rooftops during Basant. Courts have banned the kite-flying because of casualties and power installation losses. 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 falls related to the competition.
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.
The National Horse and Cattle Show is one of the most famous annual festivals, held in spring in the Fortress Stadium. The week-long activities include a livestock display, 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 Air Force 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. The festival has an international character with nearly 80 percent of the shows performed by international performers. On average 15-20 different shows are performed every day of the festival.
Lahoris are known for their love of food and eating. While Lahore has a great many traditional and modern restaurants, in recent years Western
fast food chains, such as
McDonald's,
Pizza Hut,
Subway Sandwiches,
Dunkin Donuts,
Nando's and
Kentucky Fried Chicken have appeared all over the city. Recently the
food streets in the historic locales of Lahore (
Gawalmandi,
Anarkali, and
Badshahi) have attracted tourists. Food streets have undergone restorations and are cordoned off in the evenings for pedestrian traffic only; numerous cafés serve 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 traditional, ethnic, or theme restaurants, attract all classes of Lahore's citizens. New restaurants are constantly opening, and the business is extremely competitive. Many boisterous restaurants of Lahore are open late into the night. 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 Lahore's red light district. The restaurant is housed in a 300-year-old
Kothi-style dwelling of a famous artist and was once a brothel. At different times 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.
For traditional shopping, the
Anarkali and
Ichhra bazaars are the most popular of many in the city. The alleys and lanes of these bazaars are full of traditional wares like leather articles, embroidered garments, glass bangles, beaten gold and silver jewelry, and creations in silk.
Anarkali is named after the famous courtesan of
Akbar’s time, Anarkali (Pomegranate Blossom). The grave of Sultan
Qutbuddin Aibak, who died falling off his horse while playing polo, is located in Anarkali on Aibak Road.
Mahmud Ghaznavi's general,
Malik Ayaz, lies buried in the commercial area of Rang Mahal..
Rang Mahal is part of old Lahore and today's houses a largest wholesale and retail cloth markets in Punjab. Lahore's technology markets include the Hall Road Electronics market adjacent to the Mall Road and the Hafeez Centre located on the Gulberg Main Boulevard. Pace, a shopping centre once thought to be owned by
Imran Khan, is also located on the Main Boulevard beside the
Hafeez Centre. Other well-known and popular shopping areas are the
Liberty Market in
Gulberg and at the
Fortress Stadium, as well as malls in Gulberg, Model Town, MM Alam Road, and Cantonment. Apart from these, shopping areas are being developed in many of Lahore's new suburbs such as Bahria, Lake City, and Cantonment.
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 have still survived. 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
charbagh model (four squares) with three descending terraces. The
Lawrence Gardens were established in 1862 and were originally named after Sir John Lawrence, late 19th century British Viceroy to India. The gardens were organized in an area covering . The
British East India Company vowed that it would provide for the garden 80,000 saplings of 600 different species from every corner of the world. After money was collected from the sale of
Badami Bagh, the soldiers' bazaar at
Anarkali, and from a grant by the Company Bahadur (an extension of the East India Company), the land was purchased in the year 1860. Today it's known as
Bagh-e-Jinnah. The many other gardens and parks in the city include
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, an artificial forest near Lahore in the
Kasur district.
Education
Lahore is known as the education capital of Pakistan, with more colleges and universities than any other city in the country. 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. Lahore School of Economics is another famous business school in the city. Cathedral School Lahore is one of the oldest and most famous schools in Lahore it's present there since 1850's and has a great ranked faculity and administration staff.
The
University of the Punjab is the oldest institute of higher learning in the country.
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
Government College University), established in
1864, is also situated in Lahore.
UET, Lahore is the one of the most highly regarded engineering universities in Pakistan.
COMSATS is also a well-known institute recently awarded the university charter.
Lahore Chitrkar is the only private institute which offers classes in painting, various music instruments and Kathak dance.
Media
Lahore is the core of Pakistan's media and Arts scene. Pakistan's most prestigious Art college
National College of Arts is located here. Every year it becomes the center for 'World performing Arts festival' in which artists from dozens of countries show off their talents'. This festival is managed by the Peerzada group, which is also the largest puppetry theater company in the Pakistan. Lahore is also home to the country's developing fashion industry supported by numerous designer outlets and the country's most prestigious Fashion school, the
Pakistan school of Fashion and Design which has some of the best photo studios and Photographers in the country.
Lahore has also been home to Pakistan's old classical music, ghazels and Qawalis, with Big names such as
Noor jehan, arif lohar,
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan,
Mehdi hassan,
Ghulam Ali etc all residing in the city. In recent years Lahore has given out Pakistan's largest pop singer such as
Atif Aslam and
Ali Zafar, while the city is recognized as the birth place of modern rock scene in south Asia by bands such as
Jal,
Call the band,
Roxen,
Noorie and
Entityparadigm, which were hugely popular and lead many in the Indian film industry to import their songs.
Pakistan' film industry is also based in the city and is called
Lollywood. Many films are filmed in Lahore and the city has some of the oldest film studios in the country. Many actors, directors are based in Lahore which bring many artists together to launch films. Cinema is on the incline again in recent years and IMAX is also building outlets in the city.
Lahore is becoming the media hub. Lots of channels are working in the city. There came a fantastic and new idea of a City TV channel by
City News Network (Pvt.) Ltd. They are launching a City Channel of Lahore having the name
City42.
Sports
Gaddafi Stadium is a
Test cricket ground in Lahore. Designed by Pakistani architect
Nayyar Ali Dada, it was completed in 1959 and is one of the biggest cricket stadiums in Asia. After its renovation for the
1996 Cricket World Cup, the stadium had 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. In the same vicinity lie headquarters of the
Pakistan Football Federation, as well as the multi-sport
Punjab Stadium.
Lahore is home to
Pakistan Premier League giants
WAPDA FC, alongside
Pakistan Railways FC, and
Wohaib FC.
The
Lahore Marathon is part of an annual package of six international marathons being sponsored by
Standard Chartered Bank across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The Lahore race carries prize money of approximately US$100,000. More than 20,000 athletes from Pakistan and all over the world participate in this event. It was first held on
January 30,
2005, and again on
January 29,
2006. More than 22,000 people participated in the 2006 race. The third marathon was held on
January 14,
2007..
Plans exist to build Pakistan's first sports city in Lahore, on the bank of the river Ravi.
Problems
The
architecture of Lahore reflects the history of the city and is remarkable for its unique variety. Structures remain from ancient
Mughal times, while other buildings reflect the tastes of the
British Raj, the mixed Victorian and
Islamic style of which is often referred to as
Mughal Gothic. Lahore also has buildings of modern design. The authorities have been criticised for their failure to preserve much of the city's architectural heritage. British architecture writer
Simon Jenkins commented, "In no other world city have I seen so much magnificence so neglected... All Pakistan's history is here, but disintegrating beneath encroaching shanties, cobwebs of wires and piles of rubbish."
The
2008 Lahore bombings included two suicide bombings which killed around 30 people and damaged more than a dozen buildings.
Gallery
Image:The_Hazuri_Bagh_Pavilion(1870).jpg|The Alamgiri Gate, photographed in 1870.
Image:Lahore railway station1880s.JPG|George Craddock, 1880s, Railway Station at Lahore, Pakistan.
Image:Street_scene_of_Lahore,_1890s.jpg|Street scene of Lahore, 1890s.
Image:Government_College,_Lahore_1880s.jpg|Government College of Lahore, 1880s.
Image:William Henry Jackson-Lahore railway station.jpg|Lahore Railway Station, 1880s.
Sister cities
Lahore has several
sister cities:
Belgrade, Serbia (2007).
Istanbul, Turkey (1975).
Samarkand, Uzbekistan (1995).
Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
Fresno, California.Literature
Muhammad Iqbal, scholar, thinker, and poet in Urdu and Persian.
Syed Abu Al A'la Maudoodi, Great islamic scholer famous all over the world
Allama Ghulam Ahmad Pervaiz, scholar and thinker in Urdu and English. His institute is running in Lahore in the name of Tolu-e-Islam. Web address is http://www.tolueislam.com/.
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 (born in Bombay)
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 JourneyFurther Information
Get more info on 'Lahore'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://lahore.totallyexplained.com">Lahore Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
