Things to do in Pakistan
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Pakistan Monument
Shakarparian is also the site of the impressive reddish-brown granite Pakistan Monument, conceived to represent Pakistan's diverse culture and national unity. Flanked by well-tended gardens and shaped like an unfurling flower, the four main 'petals' represent the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), with the three smaller 'petals' depicting other regions, including Kashmir.
A museum showcases post-independence memorabilia.
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Daman-e-Koh
A picnic spot and lookout in the Margalla Hills, Daman-e-Koh has panoramic views over Islamabad and, on the rare clear day, south to the Salt Range. It's a splendid spot to get a sense of the city's layout, with the Shah Faisal Mosque a breathtaking sight. To get here, hop off intercity minibus 1 or 6 at 7th Ave and catch a Suzuki at Khayaban-e-Iqbal, or walk up the steep path behind the small Marghzar Zoo for about 30 minutes.
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Lahore Fort
Built, damaged, demolished, rebuilt and restored several times before being given its current form by Emperor Akbar in 1566 (when he made Lahore his capital), the Lahore Fort is the star attraction of the Old City. Note that the museums here may close an hour or so before sunset.
The fort was modified by Jehangir in 1618 and later damaged by the Sikhs and the British, although it has now been partially restored. Within it is a succession of stately palaces, halls and gardens built by Mughal emperors Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, comparable to and contemporary with the other great Mughal forts at Delhi and Agra in India. It's believed that the site conceals…
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Mausoleum Of Sheikh Rukn-I-Alam
Lying just inside the main entrance to the fort, this masterpiece of Mughal architecture is the most significant and attractive of Multan's shrines. A pious and widely loved scholar, Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fatah (1251-1334), commonly known as Sheikh Rukn-i-Alam (Pillar of the World), became head of the Suhrawardiya Sufi branch introduced to the region by his father Baha-ud-Din Zakaria, and is regarded as the patron saint of Multan.
Built entirely of red brick and timber, the structure is not only beautiful but is skilfully executed, with a brilliant mastery of the squinch (a small arch across the corner of a tower masking the transition from square to dome). It is said that the…
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Badshahi Mosque
Completed in 1674 under Aurangzeb as the Mughals' final architectural fling, the sublime Badshahi Mosque, opposite the main gateway to the Lahore Fort, is one of the world's largest mosques. Replete with huge gateways, four tapering minarets of red sandstone, three vast marble domes and an open courtyard said to hold up to 100,000 people, it was damaged by the British and later restored.
The rooms (admission Rs5) above the entrance gate are said to house hairs of the Prophet Mohammed and other relics. The mosque looks lovely when it's illuminated in the evening.
In 1991 the mosque grabbed international headlines when hardline mullahs (Muslim religious leaders) protested at…
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Qasim Bagh Fort
Multan's most prominent landmark, now largely in ruins except for its gate and part of the outer walls and bastions, is Qasim Bagh Fort, near Hussain Agahi and Chowk Bazaars. In the fort is the Qasim Bagh Stadium that occasionally hosts cricket matches.
Apart from the shrines, most of the fort was destroyed by the British in 1848-49 to avenge the death of Lieutenant Alexander vans Agnew, killed in Multan by order of the Sikh governor. Agnew's memorial obelisk stands on a plinth at one of the highest points of the fort mound. Qasim Bagh, the small garden after which the fort now takes its name, and the large Qasim Bagh Stadium lie to the south. Although you can still walk…
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Mausoleum of Baha-ud-Din Zakaria
Just near the Mausoleum of Sheikh Rukni-Alam, the Mausoleum of Baha-ud-Din Zakaria, father of Rukni-Alam, was built in 1263. A disciple of the Sufi mystic Hazrat Shahabuddin Umar Suhrawardy of Jerusalem, Baha-ud-Din (1182-1262) introduced the Suhrawardiya branch to the subcontinent and founded a university in Multan. His tomb was badly damaged in 1848 but was later restored.
The brick building has a square base and an octagonal second storey supporting a dome, and is decorated with blue tiles and Arabic inscriptions. Although the upper halves of this tomb and Rukn-i-Alam's mausoleum have similar designs from the outside, it's interesting to compare the top-heavy and…
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Minar-i-Pakistan
Soaring into the sky in Iqbal Park, the 60m high Minar-i-Pakistan was built in 1960. It commemorates the signing of the Pakistan Resolution on 23 March 1940 by the All India Muslim League, which paved the way for the founding of Pakistan.
Marble tablets around the base record the text of the resolution, as well as the 99 attributes of Allah, passages from the Quran and works of Allama Iqbal and Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the two most important figures of the Pakistani independence movement. A lift and stairs once took visitors to the top of the Minar for the spectacular views of Lahore Fort, however, this was recently closed due to the high rate of suicides. In the late…
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Bahawalpur Museum
Displaying items ranging from calligraphy to artefacts from Moenjodaro, Cholistan and Harappa, Bahawalpur Museum, less than 1km southeast of Farid Gate.
The museum is divided into a Pakistan Movement Gallery of photos; an Islamic Arts Gallery of arms, textiles, graphic arts and metalware; an Archaeological Gallery; a Coins & Medals Gallery with items minted by the former state of Bahawalpur; an Ethnological Gallery with handicrafts from Cholistan and Bahawalpur; a Fabrics Gallery with costumes from the region; and a Manuscripts & Calligraphy Gallery.
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Institute Of Blue Pottery Development
To see the production phases of blue pottery, a traditional craft that is a Multan speciality, visit the small but interesting Institute Of Blue Pottery Development. The lovely items made here are sold in Pakistan and beyond and can also be purchased at the institute's own showroom (prices range from Rs30 for a small vase to Rs7000 for a large one). For an informal tour meet the institute's project director, Mr Shuaib Khan.
An autorickshaw from the city centre is Rs100 (one way). The PTDC and TDCP can arrange tours to the institute (prices on application).
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Mausoleum Of Sultan Ali Akbar
This largely forgotten but impressive 16th century tomb lies in the Suraj Miani suburb to the north of the city centre. Akbar's mother has her own tomb nearby.
To get here take a passenger tonga from the north side of Kutchery Chowk to Suraj Miani in the northern outskirts and then walk 400m east and south, winding through the backstreets. You'll be able to see the huge octagonal building from the tonga. A qinji costs about Rs60 (Rs10 per person if there are six people) or it's Rs70 by autorickshaw.
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Lahore Zoo
Near Bagh-i-Jinnah, behind a large gateway adorned with a colourful animal mural, Lahore Zoo is one of the oldest zoos on the subcontinent. It was founded in 1872 and includes a variety of bird species along with lions, elephants, monkeys, leopards, giraffes, tigers and more. The gardens themselves are of almost as much interest as the animals and contain a wide range of plants and trees, some believed to date back to the 16th century.
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Eidgah Mosque
The large Eidgah Mosque, covering an area of some 73m by 16m, was built in 1735 and was later used by the Sikhs as a military garrison. In turn, the British used it as a courthouse (it was here that Agnew was slain) but it was restored to its original use in 1891 and today has some of the finest blue tilework in Multan. The mosque is about 1km north of Qasim Bagh Fort.
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Pappasalli's Italian Restaurant
With an attractive interior, delicious food and courteous service, Pappasalli's is deservedly popular. There are plenty of tempting pasta dishes, including a hearty spaghetti bolognaise, as well as ample other choices such as minestrone and steak Tuscany. For dessert there's a divine tiramisu as well as some glorious ice creams including praline.
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United Bakery
Bakes excellent cakes, cookies, savoury snacks and fresh bread (loaves and rolls). Chocolate donut/éclairs and sandwiches. Birthday cakes can be ordered here.
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Frere Hall
Many of the city's most architecturally interesting British Raj buildings are now used as government offices. They include Frere Hall.
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Qaddafi Stadium
Lahore's premier venue for major domestic and international cricket matches, surf up www.pcboa rd.com.pk.
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Multan Cricket Stadium
The main venue for major cricket matches.
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Uprising Memorial
The Uprising Memorial, is a memorial to those who rose against the Maharaja in 1947. It includes the graves of the local heroes, Mohammed Babar Khan and Safiullah Beg of the Gilgit Scouts, and Mirza Hassan Khan of the Kashmir Infantry.
At Partition, many had anticipated Maharaja Hari Singh's eventual accession to India. A clique of Muslim officers in the Maharaja's own army, led by Colonel Mirza Hassan Khan, had been conspiring to seize Kashmir for Pakistan, but word had got out and Hassan was transferred to Kashmir's 'Siberia', the Bunji garrison south of Gilgit.
Meanwhile, the Gilgit Scouts' Major Mohammed Babar Khan and several fellow officers (and, according to some,…
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Baltit Fort
The oldest parts of Baltit Fort date from the 13th century. Over the years more houses and towers were added, and it was fortified. To cement an alliance with Baltistan's Maqpon dynasty in the 17th century, Mir Ayesho II (great-grandson of the legendary Girkis) married a daughter of the Balti ruler, who sent artisans to build a fort at nearby Altit. The princess then came to live in Hunza, bringing her own artisans to improve Baltit Fort.
Balti-style renovation continued under the reign of Ayesho II's son. The name Baltit probably dates from this time. The fort took on its present appearance only in the last century or so. Mir Nazim Khan added outer walls and fixed up…
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Rohtas Fort
Some 16km northwest of Jhelum, colossal Rohtas Fort is an extraordinary example of military architecture. It was started in 1543 by the Pashtun ruler Sher Shah Suri, to protect the strategic Peshawar to Calcutta (now Kolkata) road from the Mughals and their allies. He never lived to see its completion and work was carried on by succeeding rulers. However, it was soon made redundant when Akbar moved his frontier to Attock and built a new fort there.
The vast fort is now in ruins except for the crenulated outer walls and most of its 12 gates and 68 bastions. The best-preserved remains are to the west; walk through the town to the western Sohal Gate to start your…
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Buddhist Monastery
This Buddhist Monastery sat on a commanding rocky hill 15km northwest of Mardan is by far NWFP's stand-out Gandharan site, and compares more than favourably with Taxila near Islamabad. It thrived between the 1st and 7th centuries AD before being abandoned, finally giving up its secrets to British archaeologists from 1907-13, who also reconstructed parts of the site.
You enter through a courtyard that at one time held at least 35 stupas and 30 little chapels with Buddha statues. A few statues have been left in situ, the rest are in the Peshawar Museum. The walls would have been plastered, but now reveal the amazing dry stone walling techniques that constructed the complex.…
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Faqir Khana Museum
About 500m inside Bhatti Gate on the right-hand side, a small mansion houses the Faqir Khana Museum. It houses the treasures of the Faqir family, who have lived in Lahore since the 18th century. It is said to be the largest private collection in south Asia, with over 13,000 pieces of art.
The head of the Lahore branch of the family was a fakir (Muslim ascetic) from Bukhara whose three sons achieved prominence in the court of Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh, despite being Muslims. One son was royal physician, another a foreign minister and the third a finance minister. Largely as a result of their ties with Ranjit Singh, they amassed many valuable antiquities, as direct or…
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Shah Faisal Mosque
The eye-popping Shah Faisal Mosque, nestled at the foot of the Margalla Hills, is one of Asia's largest and reflects an eclectic blend of ultramodern and traditional architectural design styles. Topped by sloping roofs (a stark contrast to the traditional domes found on most mosques), the main prayer hall and courtyard is said to hold around 100,000 people. Most of its cost (pegged at about US$120 million today) was a gift from King Faisal of Saudi Arabia.
Designed by a Turkish architect, Vedat Dalokay, and built between 1976 and 1986, the mosque's geometric design (modelled on a desert tent) and clean lines make the impressive scale hard to discern until you are up…
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Lok Virsa Museum
Lok Virsa Museum houses a fascinating array of traditional handicrafts including embroidered costumes, old jewellery and intricate woodcarvings - it is well worth a visit. The reference library has resources on history, art, crafts, traditional music and ethnography. Books and other media of folk and classical music can be purchased at the bookshop. Photography inside the museum is prohibited.
For Lok Virsa Museum, you can continue walking over the hill from Shakarparian lookout; or from Zero Point bus stop cross the road, bear right and enter the woods on a path where an approach road joins the Rawalpindi road (the continuation of 8th Ave), a 15-minute walk. A taxi from…
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