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 city which he visited in the early parts of the 7th century A.D.

For 200 years, beginning from about 1525 A.D, Lahore was the thriving cultural center of the great Mughals. Emperors beautified Lahore with palaces, gardens and mosques. During the British regime, many monuments sprang up in Lahore which blended beautifully with the 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 center of the country, Lahore is the Mughal “Show-window” of Pakistan. Reminiscence of its religious past, are the remains of subterranean temples in the northern part of Royal Fort, attributed to Rama, the legendary hero of Ramayana. Lying on the main trade and invasion routes to the 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 who gave Lahore some of its finest architectural monuments.

Places of Interest

The Royal Fort (Shahi Qala) : Although most parts of the Royal fort were constructed around 1566 AD by the Mughal Emperor, Akbar the Great, there is evidence that a mud fort was in existence there in 1021 AD as well. Constructions of the fort dates back to the early Hindu period.

The Royal Fort is rectangular. 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, added a pavilion or palace to the Fort. Emperor Jehangir 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 (Pearl Mosque) and his own Sleeping Chambers. Aurangzeb built the impressive main 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 northeast corner of the fort. This is the most beautiful palace in the fort and is decorated with small mirrors of different colours set.

The walls of the Elephant Steps are scarred by bullet marks, bearing testimony to the Sikh Civil War of 1847 AD. The Sleeping Chamber of Mai Jindan houses a very interesting museum with relics from Mughal and the Sikh periods.

Meenar-e-Pakistan : Minar-e-Pakisan is a landmark in Lahore and stands in the Iqbal Park to commemorate the date when a resolution was passed there back in 1940 demanding the creation of separate homeland for the Muslims.

The Minar is a blend of Mughal and modern architecture and has been very boldly designed. The Minar is about 60 metres tall.

Kim’s Gun of 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.

Mosques

Badshahi Mosque : The Imperial or Badshahi Mosque is across the courtyard from the Lahore Fort. Emperor Aurangzeb, the last of the great Mughals, built the Mosque, which is made up entirely of red sandstone, in a record time of two and-a-half years. Its construction was completed by 1674 AD. It has a beautiful gateway, and a courtyard that is said to be the largest mosque courtyard in the world for outdoor prayers. The marble domes cover seven prayer chambers. Four lofty minarets stand at the four corners of the mosque.

In the chambers above the Gate of the mosque, are housed religious relics.
Within the Mosque almost all the colours have been used for painting the floral designs but the overall effect remains one of sobriety, piousness and simplicity.

The Golden Mosque : The Golden Mosque is situated in the Kashmiri Bazaar. Built it in 1753 AD, this mosque is remarkably beautiful with its three golden domes.

Wazir Khan’s Mosque : In the old part of town, reputedly the most beautiful Mosque of South Asia is located. The Mosque was built in 1683 A.D. and has exquisite title work and arabesque paintings.

Shrines/Mausoleums

• Shrine of Data Sahib
• Allama Iqbal's Tomb
• Mausoleum of Emperor Jehangir
• Noor Jehan's Tomb
• Qutbuddin Aibak's Tomb
• Asif Khan's Mausoleum
• Anarkali’s Tomb

Other Places to Visit

Shalimar Gardens : Three miles east of Lahore are the famous Shalimar Gardens laid out by the Mughal emperor Shah Jehan in 1642 AD. The Gardens are spread out in typical Mughal style and are surrounded by high walls with watchtowers at the four corners. Originally, the gardens were spread over seven ascending terraces, but only three remain now, which cover an area of about 42 acres. There is a marble pavilion under which water flows and cascades down over a carved, marble slab creating a waterfall effect. Across the waterfall is a marble throne. At the end of the second terrace is a beautiful structure called Sawan Bhadon. Special lights on the first and second terraces of the Gardens have been installed and the area is illuminated half-an-hour after sun set.

The Old City : In the Mughal days, the old city was surrounded by a 9-meter high brick wall and had a rampart running around it with a moat connected with the River Ravi, which served as a protection for the city. A circular road around the rampart gave access to the city through thirteen gates. Some of the imposing structures of these gates are still preserved. In the bazaar 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 textile in the traditional fashion.

Lahore Museum : The Museum contains some fine specimens of Mughal and Sikh door-ways and wood-work and has a big collection of paintings dating back to Indo-Pakistan, Mughal, Sikh and British times. It has also a collection of musical instruments, ancient jewellery, textile, pottery and armoury. There are also relics from the Graeco-Pactrian times as well as some Tibetan and Nepalese exhibits.

Faqirkhana Museum : The museum houses a variety of old paintings, including some by great masters, original manuscripts in different languages and artifacts from South East Asia and the Indo-Pak sub-continent.

Bazaar & Shopping Centres

Anarkali bazaar is the most fascinating of the city's many bazaars. The alleys and lanes of this bazaar are full of exciting wears, especially traditional crafts like leather wear, embroidered garments glass bangles, beaten gold and silver jewellery, creations in silk. It is named after the famous courtesan of Akbar's court called Anarkali (Pomegranate Blossom). Anarkali too has its share of historical monuments. There is the grave of Emperor Qutbuddin Aibak, who died falling off his horse playing polo. And Mahmud Ghaznavi's General Malik Ayyaz buried in the commercial area of Rang Mahal.

Excursions from Lahore

Hiran Minar : Hiran Minar is set in peaceful environs near Lahore. It was constructed by Emperor Jehangir as a monument to Hansraj, one of his pet antelopes. It is a popular picnic resort with a lake and boating facilities.

Flag Ceremony at Wagha : Wagha is the only land border open between Pakistan and India (Lahore-Amritsar Route). This check-post is about 27 km from Lahore. A daily Flag-lowering ceremony is simultaneously held on Pakistan and India side at sunset. This half an hour ceremony is attended by a large number of citizens and tourists.