::- Codinguru 2008-::

Minar-e-Pakistan

In the middle of Iqbal Park in Lahore stands Minar-e-Pakistan, a tall concrete minaret which was built as a tribute to the creation of Pakistan.

This is the exact place where in 1940, the Muslim League passed the famous Lahore Resolution, which demanded a separate homeland for the Muslims of India.

Minar-e-Pakistan is about 60 meters in height. The tower base is raised approximately four meters from the ground and it rises up to approximately 13 meters, forming a sculpted, flower-like base. From this point it tapers as it rises. The base platform is shaped like a five-pointed star and it encloses crescent shaped pools. It is constructed of reinforced concrete, with the floors and walls rendered in stone and marble. Now it is officially recognized as the National Monument of Pakistan.

The Minar-e-Pakistan was designed by Murad Khan, a Turkish architect.

Badshahi Mosque

Close to Minar-e-Pakistan is the magnificent Badshahi mosque, built under the patronage of the sixth Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb Alamgir. The moque was completed in 1673 under the supervision of Aurangzeb’s foster brother Muzaffar Hussain who was appointed governor of Lahore in May of 1671 and held this post until 1675.

The Badshahi mosque is adjacent to Lahore Fort, one of the most splendid examples of Mughal architecture in Pakistan. The mosque is one of the largest building made during the reign of Aurangzeb, and in terms of space, it is one of the largest mosque in the Indian subcontinent. The area within the mosque measures approximately 150 meters on each side.

The mosque is raised pretty high from the ground level, and steps lead to the main court yard. The Badshahi mosque has close resembles to the Friday Mosque built by Shah Jahan in his new capital, adjoining the Red Fort, in Delhi, although the Badshahi Mosque is a grander structure.

Shalimar Gardens

The gardens are a masterpiece from the time of the Mughal civilization, which reached its height during the reign of the Emperor Shah Jahan. The gardens were commissioned by Shah Jahan in 1637. The fort contains marble palaces and mosques decorated with mosaics and gilt. The elegance of these splendid gardens, built near the city of Lahore on three terraces with lodges, waterfalls and large ornamental ponds, is unequalled.

Each garden is divided by canals and flowerbeds, following the Persian tradition of the charbagh, or fourfold garden. Each of the 3 parts is on a different level, so that the upper parts are concealed from the view of people entering from below. The highest, and therefore the most private, section is thought to have been used by the imperial women. The channels of water that weave through the whole garden are fed by canals designed and administered by a defector from the Persian court, Ali Mardan Khan, or Inayat Khan, known for his architectural and building expertise. The gardens contain white marble buildings in typical Shah Jahani style. They are enclosed by a red sandstone wall interrupted by small decorative kiosks. The Shalimar Gardens are among the best preserved Mughal gardens.

The Shalimar Gardens are laid out in the form of an oblong parallelogram, surrounded by a high brick wall, which is famous for its intricate fretwork. The gardens measure 658 meters north to south and 258 meters east to west.

In 1981, Shalimar Gardens was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, under the UNESCO Convention concerning the protection of the world's cultural and natural heritage sites in 1972.

At a Glance

Lahore, being an ancient city, is full of architectural treasures. Lahore Museum, which has the most and the finest Mughal artifacts in the world, is a place to start. Minar-e-Pakistan, Badshahi Mosque and Shalimar Gardens are synonymous with the word Lahore. Tomb of Jahangir, Noor Jahan and Badshahi Mosque have magnificent architecture, as do many other buildings across Lahore.

Lahore is also the shoppers paradise. It has many markets and traditional bazaars. Anarkali is perhaps the most famous of the traditional Lahore bazaars.

Overview

The city of Lahore had existed during the ancient times. References to this city can be found in Ptolemy's Geographia, which is written about AD I50. It refers to it as 'Labokla' and locates it with reference to the Indus, Ravi, Jhelum and Chenab rivers.

The Muslims conquered Lahore in 713 CE under the leadership of Muhammad bin Qasim, who was dispatched by the Umayyad Khaleefah Al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik to make inroads to India. Muhammad bin Qasim conquered Punjab, and most of the present Pakistan from Kashmir to the Arabian Sea.

Later, Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni placed it under the rule of his governor, Malik Ayaz. When Sultan Qutub-uddin Aybak was crowned in 1206, he became the first Muslim Sultan of the subcontinent. From 1524 to 1752 Lahore was part of the Mughal Empire.

During Akbar's rule, Lahore was the capital of the empire from 1584 to 1598. During this time a massive fort, the Lahore Fort, was built on the remains of an older fort in the 1560s. This fort was later extended by Jahangir, a Mughal emperor who is now buried in the city. Shah Jahan, his son, was born in Lahore and is famous for building the world-renowned Taj Mahal in India. He, like his father, extended Lahore Fort and built many other structures in the city, showering more affection on his hometown than any other city. The last of the Mughals, Aurangzeb, ruling from 1658 to 1707, built the city's most famous monuments, the Badshahi Masjid and the Alamgiri Gate next to the Lahore Fort.

With the decline of the Mughal Empire, Lahore was captured by Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh, who declared himself Maharajah of the Punjab. Ranjit troops to desecrate many of the city's beautiful Islamic shrines, including the Badshahi Mosque. Sikhs ruled Lahore from 1799 to 1849, making it the capital of their empire. However the last Anglo-Sikh war resulted in a British victory, bringing Lahore under the rule of the British crown.

The famous Lahore Resolution was passed in the city in 1940 that called for the creation of a separate Muslim state. Pakistan came into existence in 1947 with the end of the British Empire.

*Content taken from: www.lahore.ecityportal.com